Technology Leadership, Planning and Implementation: Specific Strategies for Small School Districts Presented at SchoolDude University 2009 Vicki Smith Bigham President, Bigham Technology Solutions, Inc. Consultant to the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)

As you come into the session, please complete the Self Assessment of the K-12 Chief Technology Officer. Then take the 2 blue dots and the 2 yellow dots at your seat. On the skill area charts posted, place 1 blue dot on each of the 2 skill areas where you feel you are strongest and 1 yellow dot on each of the 2 skill areas where you feel you need the most growth .

Who are “Small School Districts”? Student populations of 2,500 or less Nearly 75% of nation’s 14,000 districts Typically impacted by different resource, personnel and expertise constraints than larger districts Often challenged to plan long-term given immediate needs, lack of resources and personnel and, in some cases, expertise

Student populations of 2,500 or less

Nearly 75% of nation’s 14,000 districts

Typically impacted by different resource, personnel and expertise constraints than larger districts

Often challenged to plan long-term given immediate needs, lack of resources and personnel and, in some cases, expertise

Major CoSN Focus Group Findings Lack of budget, personnel, time and sometimes expertise Ever expanding roles and responsibilities and “wearing many hats” Challenges stemming from lack of community support Often hard to “make the case” for technology, both internally and externally

Lack of budget, personnel, time and sometimes expertise

Ever expanding roles and responsibilities and “wearing many hats”

Challenges stemming from lack of community support

Often hard to “make the case” for technology, both internally and externally

Focus Group Finding: Most Critical Problems

Small District Technology Leadership Wiki www.cosn.org/wiki

Wiki to Address Small District Issues and Needs Internet-based toolkit…goal is to be one-stop resource for small district technology leaders Resources relevant to all districts but with special insights for small school districts Resources aligned to CoSN’s Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO Case studies for each skill area

Internet-based toolkit…goal is to be one-stop resource for small district technology leaders

Resources relevant to all districts but with special insights for small school districts

Resources aligned to CoSN’s Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO

Case studies for each skill area

Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO Leadership and Vision Planning and Budgeting Team Building and Staffing Systems Management Information Management Business Leadership Education and Training Ethics and Policies Communications Systems From CoSN’s “What It Takes: Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO” http://www.cosn.org/resources/cto_council/excerpt.cfm

Leadership and Vision

Planning and Budgeting

Team Building and Staffing

Systems Management

Information Management

Business Leadership

Education and Training

Ethics and Policies

Communications Systems

From CoSN’s “What It Takes: Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO” http://www.cosn.org/resources/cto_council/excerpt.cfm

Leadership and Vision - Strategies for Small School Districts Developing a shared vision and big-picture perspective on the district’s goals Playing a key role in district-wide planning and goal setting Serving comfortably as a change agent and consensus builder

Developing a shared vision and big-picture perspective on the district’s goals

Playing a key role in district-wide planning and goal setting

Serving comfortably as a change agent and consensus builder

Reaching Out to All Stakeholders Perspectives of Those Involved in Technology Planning Board Members Media Specialists District Administrators Teachers Principals/ Assistant Principals Business Manager Parents Students

Planning and Budgeting - Strategies for Small School Districts Transforming the district vision for effective use of technology into a long-range plan Beginning with strategic challenges and moving on to specific goals, objectives and action plans

Transforming the district vision for effective use of technology into a long-range plan

Beginning with strategic challenges and moving on to specific goals, objectives and action plans

What does Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) mean… …and what has it got to do with a school learning environment?

What Is TCO? All costs associated with deploying, operating and maintaining a computer network Analysis tool used by businesses since the late-1980’s A method of understanding real costs to make good decisions on technology investments

All costs associated with deploying, operating and maintaining a computer network

Analysis tool used by businesses since the late-1980’s

A method of understanding real costs to make good decisions on technology investments

A Simple School TCO Definition Hardware $$ (purchase or lease) Installation $$ Software $$ Upgrades $$ Technical Support $$ Outside Services $$ Professional Development $$ User Self-Support & Training $$ Total Cost of Ownership + + + + + + + +

Hardware $$ (purchase or lease)

Installation $$

Software $$

Upgrades $$

Technical Support $$

Outside Services $$

Professional Development $$

User Self-Support & Training $$

Total Cost of Ownership

TCO Can Help Schools Meet Educational Goals by… Tracking tech support To minimize time computer and network is down To minimize troubleshooting interruptions for teachers Tracking adequacy of professional development To ensure teachers are prepared To ensure teachers are integrating technology into the curriculum Tracking pros and cons of various implementations and support strategies The bottom line: effective use of technology

Tracking tech support

To minimize time computer and network is down

To minimize troubleshooting interruptions for teachers

Tracking adequacy of professional development

To ensure teachers are prepared

To ensure teachers are integrating technology into the curriculum

Tracking pros and cons of various implementations and support strategies

The CoSN-Gartner TCO Tool Developed by CoSN, Gartner and NCRTEC at North Central Regional Educational Laboratory Supported financially by U.S. Department of Education Gartner’s distributed computing TCO methodology for businesses modified for K-12 environment 100 data points Reviewed with a significant number of school districts Available at classroomtco.cosn.org

Developed by CoSN, Gartner and NCRTEC at North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

Supported financially by U.S. Department of Education

Gartner’s distributed computing TCO methodology for businesses modified for K-12 environment

100 data points

Reviewed with a significant number of school districts

Available at classroomtco.cosn.org

Team Building and Staffing - Strategies for Small School Districts Include a staffing strategy to support the technology plan as an integral part of strategic planning — from the beginning

Include a staffing strategy to support the technology plan as an integral part of strategic planning — from the beginning

Systems Management - Strategies for Small School Districts Overseeing day-to-day operation of the district’s IT systems Requiring project management and personal leadership skills Requiring perpetual learning

Overseeing day-to-day operation of the district’s IT systems

Requiring project management and personal leadership skills

Requiring perpetual learning

Information Management - Strategies for Small School Districts Focusing on the crucial role information plays in today’s schools Utilizing the powerful data gathering abilities of digital age tools for strategic planning

Focusing on the crucial role information plays in today’s schools

Utilizing the powerful data gathering abilities of digital age tools for strategic planning

An Iterative Process of Continuous Improvement

Data-Driven Decision Making Districts That Employ A Data-Driven Decision Making Process (Digital Leadership Divide: CoSN/Grunwald Survey) Source: www.cosn.org/resources/grunwald

A New Paradigm Sophisticated Data Collection Dissemination technologies Better understanding of how individuals learn New assessments TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION + + +

Sophisticated Data Collection

Dissemination technologies

Better understanding of how individuals learn

New assessments

TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION

Barriers to More Effective Data-Driven Decision Making Barriers to Data-Driven Decision Making To what degree does your district consider the following to be barriers to a more effective data-driven decision making process? (N=353) (Percent Responding 8, 9, or 10 on a 10-point scale) Source: Grunwald Associates Lack of training and interoperability are the main barriers to more effective data-driven decisions. A lack of understanding of what to do with data is a barrier that is particular to large and medium districts.

CoSN Initiative: Vision to Know and Do Stages of data-driven decision making… VISION planning for DDDM KNOW implementation of systems and processes for DDDM DO targeted interventions and their results

Stages of data-driven decision making…

VISION planning for DDDM

KNOW implementation of systems and processes for DDDM

DO targeted interventions and their results

CoSN Initiative: Vision to Know and Do Launched by CoSN to help educators use data effectively with goals to provide Respected source of up-to-date, unbiased information for educators on collecting, understanding and effectively using data Practical mechanism for educating school leaders about data-driven decision making and its application in K-12 Framework for sharing knowledge among educators and transferring knowledge between educational and vendor communities www.3d2know.org 3d2know.cosn.org/assessment/survey.cfm

Launched by CoSN to help educators use data effectively with goals to provide

Respected source of up-to-date, unbiased information for educators on collecting, understanding and effectively using data

Practical mechanism for educating school leaders about data-driven decision making and its application in K-12

Framework for sharing knowledge among educators and transferring knowledge between educational and vendor communities

Business Leadership - Strategies for Small School Districts Advising on technology expenditures Overseeing the selection of technology items Reviewing requisitions for technology purchases Exercising authority to approve, amend or reject purchases based on compatibility with district goals and needs

Advising on technology expenditures

Overseeing the selection of technology items

Reviewing requisitions for technology purchases

Exercising authority to approve, amend or reject purchases based on compatibility with district goals and needs

Education and Training - Strategies for Small School Districts Overseeing district-wide, technology-related staff development efforts From ensuring a sufficient budget through the implementation and assessment process

Overseeing district-wide, technology-related staff development efforts

From ensuring a sufficient budget through the implementation and assessment process

Professional Development - Things to Consider Whether your investment will go to waste Wasted time of those who DO understand computers Wasted time when not in synch with installation Bad choices made by under-trained technology staff

Whether your investment will go to waste

Wasted time of those who DO understand computers

Wasted time when not in synch with installation

Bad choices made by under-trained technology staff

Ethics and Policies - Strategies for Small School Districts Understanding the social, legal and ethical issues related to technology Modeling responsible decision making with regard to these areas Building consensus around key issues related to appropriate use of technology, as well as communicating with all parties regarding what is expected of them

Understanding the social, legal and ethical issues related to technology

Modeling responsible decision making with regard to these areas

Building consensus around key issues related to appropriate use of technology, as well as communicating with all parties regarding what is expected of them

Communication Systems - Strategies for Small School Districts Communicating with all members of the educational community Using technology-enhanced tools to support communication with stakeholders

Communicating with all members of the educational community

Using technology-enhanced tools to support communication with stakeholders

Telling the Technology Story . . . Public relations is a critical component of your district’s successful technology implementation— and it involves communicating on an ongoing basis with the range of stakeholders inside and outside the district.

Community Support Makes a Difference Source: Digital Leadership Divide , Grunwald Associates

Vicki Smith Bigham Bigham Technology Solutions, Inc. 8045-B Antoine #101 Houston, TX 77088 [email_address]