How to Evaluate a School District Technology Plan
Evaluating a school district's technology forces education administrators to focus on their goals for integrating technology into the learning process, assess the district's progress toward meeting those goals and consider new strategies if some parts of the plan are not succeeding. Evaluation can provide a starting point for reconsidering school district priorities regarding technology. A comprehensive evaluation requires continuous monitoring of the plan's implementation, as well as feedback from the teachers and students using the technology.
Instructions
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Read and review the district's technology plan, noting its goals and objectives, as well as the intended activities for achieving those goals. Be sure to consider the timeline the plan sets for meeting those goals and incorporate it into the evaluation. It would not be appropriate to evaluate the availability of broadband Internet access in all district schools after one year if the plan specifies a three-year timeline for achieving it.
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Look for a needs assessment in the plan that examines the district's overall technology needs and identifies the campuses or areas of the district with the greatest need. A district's schools often have differing levels of technology access for various reasons. Newer schools, for example, often have better Internet access than older campuses because such capabilities were part of their construction. Ensure that the technology plan steers new technology and technological infrastructure to the schools with the greatest need.
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Construct appropriate measures for assessing the implementation and goals of the technology plan. The evaluation should have multiple measures for assessing the implementation and goals of the technology plan. Examples of evaluation measures can include the number of computers in school classrooms, the number of computer labs, level of Internet access, students' knowledge of technology and teachers' ability to integrate technology into classroom instruction. Often, evaluators can measure the first three indicators with data from the district's technology office or technology coordinator. They can use short surveys to measure student and teacher knowledge and use of technology.
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Collect data on an ongoing basis to evaluate the implementation of the technology plan. Prepare interim evaluation reports (at least once a year) to assess the school district's progress toward meeting the goals outlined in the technology plan. Write all reports in clear, concise language that readers, regardless of technological knowledge, can understand. Where applicable, use charts and graphics to illustrate key findings.
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