Metropolitan School District of Perry Township, Indianapolis, IN
Client Need:
The No Child Left Behind Act has affected school districts across the country perhaps most noticeably with a push towards more accountability in the classroom. School districts must now find ways to ensure their curriculum matches state standards. The MSD of Perry Township is certainly no exception. In addition to this challenge, Perry Township is seeking new ways to utilize today’s digital technology in their classrooms. Faced with the need to implement new curriculum and excited about the opportunity of using new technology, Perry Township called its long time partner, ESCO.
ESCO Solution:
ESCO Communications listened to the needs of Perry Township and developed a plan to bring digital media into their classrooms in innovative, effective ways. Working with the Agency of Instructional Technology (AIT) and Dukane, ESCO installed a server with curriculum relevant to each grade level that can be delivered via televisions or projectors in any classroom. All teacher’s guides and proficiency standards are included in the new digital curriculum system – teachers can more easily work standards into their curriculum. And administrators can easily see how state standards are being taught. As the district moves forward, this system can also be implemented across its data network. And its use extends beyond curriculum standards – the new system includes professional development videos for the teaching staff covering techniques in reading instruction, managing the disruptive classroom, respecting diversity, conflict resolution and planning response to crisis situations. Putting AIT and Dukane’s SmartSystem together has allowed ESCO to create a very advanced and complete digital curriculum system that stands unique in the metro area.
Installed Technology:
• Southport High School
A Dukane SmartSystem replaced an outdated Dynacom media retrieval system. The SmartSystem distributes cable TV, school news and bulletin board channels and controls a bank of VCR and DVD players. The heart of the system is an on-demand, digital video server which houses various high school level curriculums from AIT. All content, whether from the VCR and DVD players or the digital server, is accessed from a browser-based controller. A teacher can access digital on-demand curriculum on composition, life science, physical science, mathematics, U.S. history, government, economics, geography and fine arts. This digital curriculum is delivered through a network of classroom display monitors and projection systems.
• Southport and Perry Meridian 6th Grade Academies
These two new buildings, which opened in the fall of 2004, each have a Dukane SmartSystem with a setup similar to the High School described above. In this case the on-demand, digital video server offers curriculum covering writing, percentages, ratios, math-at-work, life science, physical science, U.S. history, government and fine arts.
• Clinton Young Elementary School
This established elementary completed a renovation in 2005. Part of this renovation involved installing a network of display monitors and projectors throughout the building – a Dukane SmartSystem is at the heart of this network. As with the schools mentioned above it utilizes a digital, on-demand video system with curriculum covering elementary grade content including writing, phonemic awareness, fractions, measurement, percentages, earth science, life science, physical science, early U.S. history, government and fine arts.
