Current State of Tech

Technology to Assist Students with Disabilities

• Approximately 25 percent of the total number of students with disabilities in the district are provided with assistive technology as documented on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
• Students with disabilities require access to a number of assistive technology devices including iPads, laptops, augmentative communication devices, interactive smart-boards, and personal and field sounds systems.
• Additionally, there are a wide variety of text-to-speech and speech-to-text programs, word prediction audiobooks, and other language-based software applications that our students require to allow them to successfully access the curriculum and communicate in the school setting.
• In addition to these devices and applications, there is a great deal of staff development and ongoing implementation required in order to prepare and support teachers and other school staff in the use of these resources with students. Oversight of assistive technology within the district is critical to the procurement, implementation and sustainability of services to our students with disabilities. Therefore, professional development and assistive technology staffing resources would enhance the use of technology across the district for all students.

Other notes regarding inventory

• The district has an inventory tagging system for district-owned equipment.
• The district allows students to bring their own device and log onto the district’s instructional network.
• In the 2015-16 school year, approximately 1,500 student devices accessed the district’s network daily.
• The school district has provided for the loan of instructional computer hardware to students legally attending nonpublic schools pursuant to Education Law, section 754, but did not receive any requests for the 2015-16 school year.