April 26-28, 2009, Calcasieu Parish Public Schools, Lake Charles, LA

Calcasieu Parish School System, a Baldridge-based quality district, will showcase evolutionary strategic planning processes developed over a decade to transform schools into 21st century learning environments. See how 17,000+ computers and nearly 40,000 employees and students are supported with limited resources and personnel. Discover how to realistically leverage funding across your district to support technology without passing a large bond issue. As school districts are being asked to do more with less, and lots of people are making promises, Calcasieu delivers on the technology promise with “real tools for real kids for real success.”

As a recognized NSBA Salute District, NSBA Trailblazer recipient, and the 2007 ISTE Sylvia Charp Award winner, this internationally known Louisiana district located in the heart of Cajun Country encompasses 1,046 square miles and provides a world class educational environment in 60 schools. The district maintains a significant commitment to technology leadership and a vision for continuous improvement and growth in emerging technologies.

This Louisiana district located in the heart of the bayou and in the midst of Cajun Country encompasses 1,046 square miles and provides a world class educational environment in 60 schools. The district maintains a significant commitment to technology leadership and a vision for continuous improvement and growth in emerging technologies.

Participants will gain insight into the following topics:

a comprehensive and innovative eLearning community
automation, policies and standardization to leverage limited personnel resources
data-sharing using the School Interoperability Framework (SIF)
VoIP (Voice over IP), WiFi, streaming video, and online conferencing
online formative assessment solutions
NETS proficiency assessments for students, teachers, and administrators
student summer technology camp implementation
online parent access center
extensive district and regional technology professional development
innovative use of interactive white boards, classroom response systems, digital video, Web 2.0 tools, laptops in the classroom, 1:1 computing, television production, and assistive technologies
international collaborations
unique partnerships with local universities
online curriculum resources

As an added bonus, you will engage in real time global collaboration to discuss and share contextual experiences and help you focus and implement what you have seen. Whether you are an administrator, teacher, school board member, or technology coordinator, Ingenuity, Innovation, and Implementation are the keys to the insights you’ll gain at the “Calcasieu Technology Treasures: Real Tools, Real Kids, Real Success” site visit.

Sunday, April 26

6:00 – 8:00 pm
Registration and Reception, L’Auberge du Lac Resort

Monday, April 27

6:30 – 7:30 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast at Hotel

7:30 – 8:15 am
Breakfast and Opening Session, L’Auberge du Lac Resort

8:30 am
Buses depart for Tours A, B, and C

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
School Tours (Select 1 tour program for the entire day)

9:00 – 10:30 am

Tour A - AM: S.J. Welsh Middle School

1,200 students (6th-8th);
2nd largest middle school in Louisiana

6th grade center
Pre-advanced placement classes
Team centered learning
Web 2.0 tools and learning centers
Communication and collaboration via BlackBoard

11:00 – 3:00 pm

Lunch/Tour A - PM: St. John Elementary and Barbe High School

St. John Elementary - 825 students (PK-5th); newest facility in the district

1:2 handheld to student ratio
Cultural exchange program with a British school
University professional development school partnership
Blogs and wikis for collaboration
Interactive white boards

Barbe High School - 1,900+ students (9th-12th); largest district high school

Wireless computing
Advanced placement programs
Probes, handhelds, CPS, whiteboards, document cameras
9th Grade Academy
Utilization of BlackBoard, Nettrekker, and Gale Group
Learning centers

9:00 – 10: 30 am

Tour B – AM: Moss Bluff Elementary

Moss Bluff Elementary - 900 students (PK-5th); securing classroom technology through grant initiatives

Grant funded laptops in the classroom
Kindergarten literacy development program
ACTIVboards, ACTIVexpressions, ACTIVslates, and document cameras
Podcasting and digital video
BlackBoard
ePals

11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Lunch/Tour B - PM: Maplewood Middle School and Sulphur High/9th Grade Campus

Maplewood - 1,100+ students (PK-8th); focused on Meaningful Engaged Learning (MEL)

International partnership and video conferencing
1:1 computing in state Turn on To Learning (TOTL) program
Digital video production
Technology infused literacy workstations
BlackBoard
ACTIVboards, ACTIVexpressions, ACTIVslates, and document cameras
Sulphur High School - 1,100+ students (10th-12th); 500 (9th) - separate campus located next to the main campus.
Digital photography and tech integration in the visual arts
Laptops used for inquiry-based lab activities in science
Flexible workstations and digital video in language arts
Application software for mathematics instruction
Project-based learning and digital media creation
ACTIVboards and document cameras

9:00 – 10:30 am

Tour C - AM: F.K. White Middle School

F.K. White Middle School - 650+ students (6th-8th); diverse student population

1:1 laptop initiative
Differentiated instruction with technology
Blogs and Wikis
ActivBoards and ACTIVexpressions
Blackboard
ePals

11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Lunch/Tour C - PM: Dolby Elementary & LCB Academy of Learning

Dolby - 545 students (PK-5th); houses an additional 250 gifted students

Award winning Baldridge quality strategies
Student television station
ePortfolios
ActivBoards and ACTIVexpressions
Digital cameras, graphic tablets, and MP3 players
Handhelds

Lake Charles-Boston Academy of Learning - open for nearly two years; services all high schools in the district

Television news production program
Distance learning
Career and technical education
Advanced placement courses
Specialized fine arts programs

3:30 pm
All tours return to the hotel

5:00 – 6:00 pm
Reception on the Lake

6:00 pm
Dinner and Fais Do-Do (Cajun dance party), L’Auberge du Lac Resort

Tuesday, April 28

7:00 – 8:00 am
Continental Breakfast at Hotel

8:00 am
Buses depart for Tours D, E, and F

8:30 – 11:30 am
School Tours (Select 1 half-day tour – See Monday listings for descriptions)

Tour D: St. John Elementary and Dolby Elementary
Tour E: Maplewood Middle School and Sulphur High/9th Grade Campus
Tour F: Barbe High School and LCB Academy of Learning

12:00 – 1:00 pm
Lunch - CPSB Assessment Center

1:15 – 2:00 pm
District Sessions (Select 1 session)

District Assessment System (Scantron)
eLearning Community (Blackboard Academic Suite)
Networking (Infrastructure, SIF, VoIP)
District Curriculum Applications (Destiny, Pearson Successmaker, Scholastic, Renaissance, Discovery Education Video, Nettrekker, Teaching Books, EBSCO, Gale Group, WorldBook)
District Technology Professional Development

2:15 – 3:00 p.m.
District Sessions (Select 1 session)

Data Center (student information, food services, transportation and financial systems, and digital document system)
Technical Support and Repair Strategies
District Technology Professional Development
Extending Technology: Student Tech Camp, Region V Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (TLTC), Louisiana Assistive Technology Initiative (LATI), and Annual Teaching and Technology (TNT) Regional Conference
eLearning Community (Blackboard Academic Suite)

3:00 p.m.
Buses depart for Lake Charles Airport or hotel

Travel Note:
The Lake Charles Regional Airport is the most convenient airport for the visit. However, for more competitive pricing and schedule options, you may wish to consider renting a car and using alternative airports in Louisiana - Lafayette (76 miles); Baton Rouge (126 miles) or New Orleans (206 miles) – or Houston, TX (144 miles).

Presented by the National School Boards Association and the Technology Leadership Network.