Q: “How can districts use COT
data to improve teaching and learning?”
A: According to the most
recent CDW-G Inc. survey, teacher and administrator respondents
indicated that, “While computers can be found in virtually every
public school in the nation, eight of ten teachers use them for
administrative tasks, rather than as classroom instruction tools.”
Technology and education experts responding to the report said the
annual survey indicates teachers and administrators are using the
technology to collect and manage data but aren’t taking full
advantage of it to enhance student learning. While administrative
uses are important, the ultimate goals for using technology are
improved teaching and learning.
Developers of the 2002 state plan (METSP) had
similar views on the role of technology in education. They decided
on a hierarchy of goals, known as Technology Focus Areas (TFAs)
that, when employed adequately, would promote effective use of
education technology and guide Missouri’s districts in reaching the
ultimate goals of high-quality teaching and high student academic
performance. Both the COT and the state’s criteria for approving
district plans are aligned to the TFAs. As such, districts can use
COT data to develop district plans, gauge progress in meeting state
and local goals/plans, and compare district findings to statewide
averages and “typical” district data.
TFA Hierarchy:
|
Student Learning |
|
Teacher Preparation |
|
Administration & Management |
|
Distribution of Resources |
|
Technical Support |
The
Technical Support goal establishes the base of the TFA
hierarchy. As effective technology use is dependent on adequate
technical support, COT items address the kinds and numbers of
fulltime-equivalent staff or non-employees who are responsible for
the oversight of the district’s technology holdings, training, and
usage. Following are the Technical Support objectives and related
COT findings [District item 3 and Building items 4, 10, 11, and 17].
a)
Districts will provide dedicated personnel to support education
technology use, employing at least one district technology
coordinator/director to oversee technical purchases, maintenance,
upgrades and instructional support.
§
In 2005, the overall
average was 2.1, with the typical (median) district having 1.0 FTE
technology directors
b) Districts will provide buildings with adequate support, so each
building has at least 1.0 technical support FTE per building (or 1.0
FTE for every 300 workstations); at least 1.0 instructional
technology support FTE per building (or 1.0 FTE for every 150
teachers); and at least 80% of technical problems fixed in 24
working hours.
§
All buildings
reported having some FTE, with the typical building having just over
1.0 FTE technical support staff
§
All buildings
reported having some FTE, with the typical building having just over
1.0 FTE instructional technology staff
§
The typical building
had minor or routine problems/repairs resolved in three or fewer
days and 98% of computers working on any given day
The next goal involves the Distribution of
Resources TFA. Users must have access to quality technology
hardware and software, and the distribution of these resources
should be extensive and equitable. The COT examines the kinds,
numbers, and locations of certain technology resources made
available in the district and across attendance centers. Following
are the Resource objectives and a summary of COT findings [District
items 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11 and Building items 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, and
14].
a)
Districts will provide equitable access to an infrastructure with
converged technology.
§ In 2005, districts
reported technology budgets totaling over $105.86 million, with the
average district budgeting $202,000 and the typical district
spending $40,900.
b) Districts will build and maintain the capability to support the
technologies/infrastructure by establishing a LAN or WAN that
connects all district buildings, has dedicated Internet connection
(using nor more that 70% bandwidth capacity), is compliant with CIPA
filtering requirements, and supports web services and email
accounts. Districts will make use of the E-rate program to maintain
and advance technologies and infrastructure.
§ In 2005, 457
districts (87%) reported having all buildings connected via a LAN or
WAN
§ 495 districts (94%)
reported they provided email accounts to teachers and
administrators, while 124 districts (23%) provided student accounts
and 271 (52%) supported classroom website hosting
§
521 districts
indicated they filed E-rate applications, with the typical district
reallocating 80% of the discount to support education technology
§ NOTE: The MOREnet
Technology Network Program (TNP) provides additional bandwidth to
districts with documented needs to ensure adequate bandwidth.
MOREnet files an E-rate application for the state network, with the
discount used in purchasing more bandwidth
§ NOTE: All districts
reported being CIPA-compliant in their consolidated grant
application
c) School buildings will be connected to the district LAN/WAN and the
Internet, and will support voice, data, and video by having a
video-conferencing system and a multimedia distribution system that
includes cable television reception, satellite/ITFS broadcast
reception, and/or internal video network with appropriate licenses.
§
In 2005, almost all
buildings (99%) reported having a LAN that is connected to the
district and to the Internet
§
75% of all buildings
reported having one or more distance learning systems: 1140 with
cable television, 703 with web-based online instruction, 485 with
two-way interactive television, 399 with satellite reception, and
270 with desktop-based two-way interactive videoconferencing
d) Instructional
classrooms will be connected to the district LAN and the Internet,
having telephone access, a 2:1 ratio of students per
Internet-connected computer/computing device, and a teacher
workstation that includes a computer, printing access, a projection
device and an interactive whiteboard.
§
In 2005, the overall
ratio of students per computer was 3.09, with 3.3 students per
Internet-capable computer and 3.4 students per Internet-connected
computer
§ In 2004, nearly 60%
of all classrooms, computer labs, and library media centers had
telephone access, 92% were wired for Internet access, and almost 90%
of the rooms were equipped with a modern, multimedia,
Internet-connected computer, while just over 25% had a full teacher
workstation [NOTE: 2005 data were not available]
Administration, Management, and
Communications makes up the center of the TFA hierarchy. School
users should be networked to one another and to the outside world to
have ready access to people, data, and information that promotes
effective communication, decision-making, and problem-solving. COT
items cover district-wide networking, Internet connectivity, email,
and administrative systems. Following are the Administrative
objectives and a summary of COT findings [District items 1, 2, 4,
and 7 and Building items 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 16, and 19].
a) Districts will develop and maintain a three-year technology planning
process that includes broad committee membership, develops and
manages an infrastructure that supports [existing and future]
administrative and instructional functions, and builds a budget that
includes the allocation of 25% of the funds to professional
development activities, aligns resources with needs and covers the
total cost of ownership, including human resources.
§
NOTE: These
requirements must be met for districts to receive State approval of
their technology plans
b) Districts will enhance administrative and management processes
through the use of technology by incorporating appropriate
technology tools to facilitate data and information collection,
analysis and reporting (knowledge management).
§
In 2005, over 400
districts (77%) reported having educational technology standards for
administrators, while 360 (69%) also had support services staff
standards
§
91% of building
administrators were reported as having intermediate or advanced
technology skills
§ District-wide
administrative systems for accounting/budgeting/payroll, student
attendance, and communications/email were reported by over 90% of
districts, while 75-89% of districts supported systems for food
service, discipline, and grading. Fewer than half of the districts
had systems for student fees (43%), distance education (37%), human
resources (32%), instructional management (26%), teacher evaluation
(25%, and school safety (20%)
§
97% of districts
provide email accounts to administrators
§
96% of buildings have
library automation systems
c) Districts will communicate with and inform parents, community
members, and others about key education technology issues
confronting policymakers, administrators, and educators.
§ Almost all buildings
(96%) reported making use of one or more technology-mediated
feedback systems, with 2,075 buildings using email, 1,115 voice
mail, and 287 listservs; 611 buildings with a web-based homework
hotline and 331 a telephone-based homework hotline; 416 buildings
with automated absentee calling systems; and 290 buildings making
use of electronic bulletin boards
The penultimate goal promotes Teacher
Preparation and the delivery of instruction. Teachers need
high-quality pre-service education and in-service professional
development that focuses on how to use education technology in ways
that advance their own learning and their ability to integrate the
technology into curriculum, instruction, and assessment. COT items
examine the kinds of technologies and the functions for which
technologies are used by building teachers and administrators, and
their technology skill levels. Following are the Teacher objectives
and a summary of COT findings [District items 2, 6, and 7 and
Building items 2, 5, 6, 8, 15, 16, 18, and 19].
a) The State
Board and the Department will adopt the National Educational
Technology Standards (NETS) for teachers and administrators,
will align the standards to teacher and administrator evaluation
models and provide assessment tools to survey and evaluate
progress on the NETS where appropriate.
§ NOTE: The state
adopted the NETS for teachers, students, and administrators in
June 2002 and the eMINTS National Center aligned its
professional development curriculum to the NETS for Teachers in
2005
b) Districts
will establish and endorse state education technology standards
for teachers and administrators and monitor progress on a
regular ongoing basis.
§
In 2005, nearly
80% of districts reporting having standards for teachers, with
77% having standards for administrators and 69% with standards
for support services staff
§
Almost all
districts (99%) report having technology integrated in one or
more core curriculum, with 96% of district having technology
integrated in communication arts, 90% in mathematics, and 88% in
social studies and science
§
91% of teachers
and 69% of support services staff were reported as having
intermediate or advanced technology skills
c) Teachers will
enhance instructional teaching strategies and will routinely use
equipment, print/video/digital content, multimedia, and
networked applications. Teachers will fully integrate technology
in all core curriculum areas; incorporate instructional delivery
strategies that promote authentic project-based learning
opportunities, place-based learning, student teamwork,
collaboration, and communication; communicate goals and
expectations to students and parents; and assess and track
student learning.
§
About half of all
teachers were reported as able to appropriately integrate
technology in curriculum and instruction
§
85% of teachers
used email to communicate with peers, experts and others while
72% used email to communicate with parents and students
§
Building contacts
reported that 79% of teachers make routine use of technology to
produce written products, 75% to collect research and track
student records, 73% to manage student records, and 70% to
assess student learning
§
78% of teachers
routinely used educational software
The peak of the hierarchy is Student
Learning. Like teachers, students of the 21st century
need to know how to use education technologies in ways that advance
their knowledge and skills and their academic performance. COT items
examine the kinds of technologies and the functions for which
technologies are used by students and their technology literacy
skills. Following are the Student Learning objectives and a summary
of COT findings [District items 2 and 8 and Building items 5, 6, 8,
15, and 16].
a) The State
Board of Education and the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education will adopt the National Educational
Technology Standards (NETS), and align Show-Me Standards to the
NETS and provide assessment tools to survey and evaluate student
progress on the NETS where possible.
§
NOTE: The state
adopted the NETS for students in June 2002.
b) Districts
will establish and endorse state education technology standards
for students and monitor progress on a regular ongoing basis.
Districts will adopt the NETS or similar standards and
incorporate them in school improvement and technology plans,
incorporate technology standards into curriculum guides, develop
and administer local assessments of student technology
competencies, and collect, analyze and report data to assess
effect of technology integration on student performance.
§
In 2005, 90% of
districts reported the use of one or more sets of educational
technology standards for students, with 82% of the districts
using locally-developed standards, 29% adopting the NETS, and 8%
the Standards for Technological Literacy
§
Typically,
districts estimated 90% of their 8th-grade students
as being technology literate
§ Building contacts
reported that 80%of students routinely used educational
software,
§
59% of students
routinely used technology to produce written assignments, 53% to
conduct online research, and 40% to produce media/multimedia
presentation, while 20% or fewer students routinely used
technology to communicate with teachers, experts, others (20%)
or to communicate with parents and other students (13%)
c)
Districts
will expand curricular offerings to meet the needs of high
school students, providing courses via distance learning that
otherwise would not be provided by the district.
- According to a
Distance Learning Survey conducted fall 2004, 77 districts reported
over 2,000 students participating in one or more courses offered
via distance learning
