TO: Dr. Joe Scarcella (EVOC 502/3 Instructor)
FROM: Leonard A. Moreno
DATE: August 16, 2005
RE: Session 5 - 502WA2, Student Organizations

The purpose of EVOC 502 WA2 was to prepare a proposal for the formation of a student organization for the program in Information Technology at the school where I teach. The following six criteria were specified:

1. Comply with all of the General Criteria for Written Assignments.
    

2. Develop a proposal for a student organization (in the form of a letter or memo) that would convince a school administrator that such an organization would be worthwhile.
    

3. Include specific information in the proposal about how the organization could be facilitated and how it would be beneficial to students.
    

4. Indicate any cost involved, what facilities would be needed and what sort of faculty, staff and administrative support would be required.
    

5. List and briefly describe at least one good resource from which further information about student organizations can be obtained.
    

6. Limit the length of the proposal to not more than two pages. It is very important that this document be both diplomatic and factual.

The following sources of information were used relative to this assignment:

1. Green, Timothy - Automotive Instructor

2. Antelope Valley Union High School District - Main Office

3. McKinstry, Betsy - ROP Coordinator

4. Ochoa, Diego - Vice Principal, Palmdale High School

I believe that the attached report meets all six of above listed criteria and respectfully request full credit: one point for meeting each of the above listed criteria.

TO: Mr. Michael Dutton - Principal, Palmdale High School

FROM: Leonard Moreno - Instructor, Information Technology

DATE: August 16, 2005

RE: Proposal for Development of an Information Technology Club

During our 2004-2005 school year, we enrolled over 150 students in our various Information Technology courses at the main building of the Antelope Valley ROP Center.  As our department has now relocated to your site for the 2005-2006 school year at Palmdale High School, establishing an Information Technology Club would provide an ideal environment for productive professional interaction for those students as well as a resource for recruitment, new course offerings, field trips,  and other events that would be highly motivational for both the students and staff.  The club will strongly enable our continued public relations in the local community.

With our new state of the art computer lab and high-tech equipment including interest from your computer savvy staff, this would enable us to establish the club at with very minimal resources and cost expenses.  The InfoTech Club can be scheduled to hold meetings after school once a week on Friday's in room 205 which is the new computer lab. These meetings will not conflict with any student or staff schedules and events with the use of the computer lab during after-school hours being approved with your consent, I do not see any additional costs or staffing needed.

Previously during the 1999-2000 school year at the main ROP center, an Information Technology Club existed under my direction with emphasis to recruit students into our programs.  Our numbers showed that students involved in the club and taking our courses had a 91% retention rate over the next year.  Our data also showed that club students would in return recruit new students into the club that transitioned into the general classes.  The club was so highly successful that a new course was created by the students and offered to the school board for approval.  The Computer Game Design class is now our most popular class and the first of its kind to be offered at a comprehensive High School in California.  In order to better serve the data needed for this club offering, a survey will be conducted to target the type of club and student interest.  The survey will be designed and posted online for a 30-day period which will require no resources other than the initial advertising.  The survey will also ask for support interest of faculty members and parents for volunteer time and club advisors.

There are several resources online with information available about current High School technology organization and clubs that we can use as a baseline.   One in particular is a computer security awareness for teens called Hacker HighSchool that will tie directly with our current Networking curriculum.  With the many current clubs at your school, I believe I can network with these other advisors to reflect on what is needed to initiate the basics and begin the process to develop the required curriculum, constitutions and calendar of events.  The club can start within the second semester with an estimated student involvement of 24 students and 2 faculty members (including myself).

Please contact me at your earliest convenience, upon request I can provide more data and personally present the information to you.  You should be aware that this is my second year as part of the Cal-Perkins grant team, and have funding nominations of 50k that can be spent towards the creation and maintenance towards club organizations and activities.  From our last conversation I understood your support in our InfoTech programs, I strongly believe this is one of the steps to a great success of the new InfoTech program at your school site.