Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Information included in this document covers education, ethnicity, and type of employment of all Assumption employees.
This document contains many different statistics related to the student population last year. It includes ethnicity, languages spoken, religious affiliation, number of students with 504s and awards granted to faculty, school and students.
Assumption High Schools Mission Statement
Rooted in the values of Jesus Christ and the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy, Assumption High School, dedicated to the development of the whole person, educates young women in a Catholic community where faith guides, compassion inspires, integrity matters, and excellence empowers.
Assumption High School will thrive as the college preparatory school of choice for young women by providing a wide range of educational and cocurricular programs that are complemented by spiritual and physical development opportunities. This unique experience will educate the whole person in a caring, Christian environment that is permeated with the charism of Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. Assumption graduates will be socially responsible women, committed to gospel living, lifelong learning, and a life of leadership and service in society. We will cultivate the investment and involvement of the community so that the legacy of this Mercy-sponsored Catholic school lives on for generations.
teachers have specific programs that are loaded on their computers such as TI-84 and Infinite Algebra. This also goes for other departments as well. The pros of all the technology in use at Assumption are endless. The 1:1 program allows for students and faculty to access information, create, and assess in a 21st century classroom. Students are more engaged and their technology skills have improved. The cons of these resources would be that all the teachers at Assumption move from room to room and do not have a set classroom, any immobile technology like sound systems and document cameras cannot be depended on for a particular lesson unless the teacher is in that room.
Adaptive/assistive hardware and software that assist students with special needs:
The programs that most of the students use are on their tablet computers. These include Text Speak (having the computer read back to them what they have written), AUDACITY (the capability to dictate into the tablet and it types what is said), eBooks, and the use of the webcam to videotape lectures. Assumption does not have students with any other assistive devices, because the tablet can record and provide any needed accommodations. Many of the students at Assumption who have Learning Differences have difficulty reading at a fast pace and understanding everything that they read. These students utilize the narrator feature of their Tablet PCs , which will read aloud any text. This aids students in understanding when they can hear it as they are reading along. This assistive tool is vital to their success. Some of those same students benefit from a scribe as a modification in the classroom. These students have indicated that they prefer using a program such as Audacity to record in writing. This program allows students to write through audio dictation.
Technology resources that affirm diversity and address cultural and language differences:
Tuition paid by each students family pays for Assumptions 1:1 program. To affirm diversity payment options and financial support is offered for families who struggle with the cost. Students at Assumption, whose first language is not English, do speak it fluently and therefore no services are offered for this. In addressing cultural differences students are allowed and encouraged to personalize their computers with backgrounds, apps, music etc. If there were students whose diversity, whether it is language or cultural differences, was affecting their educational needs, they would be able to use their school issued tablet PCs as a tool to overcome these challenges. Students could use online translators to translate English to their native language. They could use the Tablet to record video of lectures and presentations, so they could view it multiple times so as not to miss anything. Having a laptop computer
available to all students gives all students the opportunity to learn in a manner that is comfortable to them. This would include accessing videos of content in native languages, and viewing websites that use terms and visuals that are more relative to persons of a specific culture.
Assumption blocks access to social media, ads, certain games and some blogs during school hours. Teachers use DyKnow as a monitor and file transfer program. DyKnow allows teachers to view what each student has on her screen when she is anywhere in the building. Teachers may in addition to the websites that are blocked during the day block websites or programs form the students she is monitoring using Dyknow. So if a teacher wants the student to use Microsoft Word to write an essay for an assessment, she can block all other programs from use. Assumption also uses Sharepoint as a management tool. Students get daily announcements, lunch menus, schedule information, guidance and media center information using the student view of Sharepoint. Students and faculty use Sharepoint for help desk for computer and facilitys needs. Sharepoint also has links to all website students access daily. The use of SkyDrive allows students OneNote notebooks to be viewed by their teachers. This is extremely useful in monitoring student progress and work.
The Assumption IT department consists of a Director, Assistant Director, 3 Technology Specialists (areas of expertise are Sharepoint, Hardware, and assisting students), and 2 PartTime Technology Integration Specialists. The Assistant Technology Director creates the image every year to reimage all computers yearly. He uses HII (hardware independent imaging) to create the image through testing each program individually and then testing that programs interaction with all other programs. AHS utilizes the summer to deploy the new image to all student and faculty computers (1000+). Updates are also pushed out throughout the school year after thorough testing. As far as inventory goes, AHS IT department maintains any software and hardware inventories, but all other inventories are managed by the Media Center. Every item in the school is bar-coded and inventoried, including the pencil sharpeners. These items are tracked by the Media Center and the list is utilized when assigning rooms for events and classes.
Analysis of Needs:
There is not much need at Assumption in the area of technology. The administration and technology departments are very generous and if they can fit it into the budget, they will purchase what teachers want. One issue is that the main campus has some very old buildings and it can be a challenge when it comes to the general accessibility for wiring new technology. This is why all classrooms do not have sound systems. Some of the needs for which AHS is trying to find solutions currently are secure testing and assessment. AHS has been able to reduce its total use of paper significantly, but until it has secure testing, paperless will not be viable. Personally, I would like to see the ability to project wirelessly to the front of the room. I think proximity is an important classroom management tool and even more important when students have screens in front of them. It has been explained to me that due to the use of the Smartboard, and wiring issues we will never have wireless projectors. I use the slate that is compatible with the Smartboard, but it is a bit difficult and does not work for other programs. I also use a wireless mouse and that can give me some mobility in the classroom.