Make the Case to District Administrators

District administrators include but are not limited to the superintendent, assistant superintendent, curriculum director, director of instruction, financial director, and district technology director. It is important to make the case to these district leaders so they can in turn advocate for educational technology with the school board, public, policy makers, and school personnel. Use the tools below to make a strong case for educational technology to this important audience.

NOTE: Where indicated, resource files are in PDF format (view PDF instructions).

Starter Kits

Use this collection of targeted strategies, nuggets of research data, and talking points to make the case to the district administrators.

Tools for Making the Case to District Administrators

(PDF, 131 KB, 21 seconds)
Use this starter kit to make the case to district leaders so they can in turn advocate for educational technology with the school board, public, policy makers, the community, and school personnel.

Use these research reports, articles, presentations, video case studies, and resource links to make the case for educational technology.

2004 Leadership Symposium Onsite PowerPoint Presentation

(PDF, 277 KB, 44 seconds)
This PowerPoint presentation outlines the charge of the day from the 2004 ISTE Leadership Symposium at NECC.

A Computer for Every Lap: Maine's Successful Laptop Initiative

(PDF, 22 KB, 4 seconds)
A descriptive article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how a forward-looking governor, working within the constraints of state politics, provided every seventh grader in the state of Maine with a laptop computer.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org

A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning with Technology on Student Outcomes

http://www.ncrel.org/tech/effects2/
A Learning Point Associates report describes a quantitative analysis of the effects of teaching and learning with technology The study shows that teaching and learning with technology had a statistically significant positive effect on student learning.

A Vision of E-Learning for America’s Workforce

(PDF, 810 KB, 2 minutes 6 seconds)
In this George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) article, the Commission on Technology and Adult Learning recommends that U.S. governors and CEOs recognize the benefits of e-learning, and promote e-learning for the success of both workers and companies in the new digital economy of the 21st century.
Copyright © 2001, ASTD (American Society of Training Directors) and NGA (National Governors Association). Used with permission.

Assistive Technology for Young Children in Special Ed

(PDF, 23 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how tech-nology is being used to level the playing field for students with mobility, hearing, or vision impairments, as well as for individuals with limitations in cognition and perception.
Copyright © 1998 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org This article is excerpted from Assistive Technology for Young Children in Special Education by Michael Behrmann, Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Copyright © 1998, ASCD. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Beliefs, Practices and Computer Use of Teacher Leaders

(PDF, 309 KB, 49 seconds)
This study analyzes qualities of teachers and groups them by different levels of professional engagement. Researchers termed the teachers at the highest level of engagement “Teacher Leaders” and identified key practices used by this group, including a high amount of computer use in their classrooms.
Copyright © 2000 Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations; University of California, Irvine and the University of Minnesota. Used with permission

Center for Applied Research in Education Technology (CARET)

http://caret.iste.org/
CARET bridges education technology research to practice by offering research-based answers to critical questions. Browse Questions & Answers to learn what studies show about topics such as student learning, curriculum and instruction, and professional development.

Collaborating to Create Media-Savvy Young People

(PDF, 22 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how a group of parents and educators working together helped students understand and evaluate the many messages they receive on a daily basis from television, the Internet and other forms of media.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org

Computer Use by Teachers: Are Cuban’s Predictions Correct?

(PDF, 147 KB, 23 seconds)
Countering the argument that computers will not play a significant role in teachers’ instructional practices, Henry Jay Becker of California State University, Irvine, explains that when essential conditions are met, technology is a significant tool for improving teaching and learning.
Copyright © 2000, Originally published in Educational Policy Analysis Archives, Vol. 8 No. 51: http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v8n51/. Used with permission.

Does it Compute? The Relationship Between Educational Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics

(PDF, 766 KB, 2 minutes)
A report published by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), presents evidence for the efficacy of educational technology, using data from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Copyright © 1998, Educational Testing Service (ETS), http://www.ets.org/. Used with permission.

Eager to Learn

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_1047&key=137
This is a link to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Website. At Moanalua High School, students use multimedia tools to shoot, edit, and narrate documentaries on topics such as child labor. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

eMINTS Policy Brief-2001

(PDF, 228 KB, 36 seconds)
This policy brief examines the effects of the eMINTS program, a Missouri program that focuses on creating student-centered, inquiry based instructional practices using a wide-range of multimedia and computer technology into 3rd-5th grade classrooms. Students in eMINTS classrooms scored significantly higher than their non-eMINTS counterparts on key indicators.
Copyright © 2001, eMINTS, http://www.emints.org/. Used with permission.

eMINTS Policy Brief-2002

(PDF, 262 KB, 41 seconds)
This policy brief examines the effects of the eMINTS program, a Missouri program focused on creating student-centered, inquiry based instructional practices using a wide-range of multimedia and computer technology in 3rd-5th grade classrooms. Students in eMINTS classrooms scored significantly higher than their non-eMINTS counterparts on key indicators.
Copyright © 2002, eMINTS, http://www.emints.org/. Used with permission.

eMINTS Policy Brief-2003

(PDF, 346 KB, 54 seconds)
This policy brief examines the effects of the eMINTS program, a Missouri program focused on creating student-centered, inquiry based instructional practices using a wide-range of multimedia and computer technology in 3rd-5th grade classrooms. Students in eMINTS classrooms scored significantly higher than their non-eMINTS counterparts on key indicators.
Copyright © 2003, eMINTS, http://www.emints.org/. Used with permission.

Five School Districts' Experiences Financing Technology Programs

(PDF, 364 KB, 57 seconds)
This article reports testimony given before a task force on education in the United States Senate. It explains how five districts made funding decisions about educational technology, and describes their processes for goal-setting, identifying and overcoming barriers, and planning for sustainability.

Highlights from NetDay’s National Report on Speak Up Day 2003

http://www.netday.org/speakupday2003_report.htm
This summary report highlights major findings from NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003, where 210,000 K-12 students submitted surveys on technology and education. Analysis shows that today’s students feel strongly about the value of technology, and rely on technology as an essential and preferred component of every aspect of their lives.

Making the Case for Making the Case (PDF)

Practical Guide to Promoting America’s Public Schools

http://www.learningfirst.org/lfa-web/rp?pa=doc&docId=72
Prepared by the Learning First Alliance, a permanent partnership of 12 leading U.S. education associations, this advocacy resource is intended to assist educators and others interested in education to promote the value of public education to our nation.
(Requires free registration)

Questions to Ask about Technology Investments

(PDF, 98 KB, 16 seconds)
Plato Learning outlines key questions that districts, principals, teachers, parents and policymakers can ask to maximize the benefits of using technology in classrooms.
Copyright © 2003 PLATO Learning, http://www.plato.com/. Used with permission.

SETDA’s National Leadership Institute Toolkit

(PDF, 408 KB, 1 minute 4 seconds)
This State Education Technology Director's Association (SETDA) Toolkit includes a range of materials and resources on five themes to assist state leaders, administrators, and educators improve learning for all students through the use of technology.
Copyright © 2004, State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA); http://www.setda.org/. Used with permission.

Students Find Their Voices through Multimedia

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_980
This descriptive article and video clip from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how the use of multimedia in school projects serves to engage previously disinterested students in schoolwork.

The Digital Superintendent

(PDF, 22 KB, 4 seconds)
A descriptive article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how one superintendent sold his vision of technology in education to parents, teachers and voters in his district.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org

The Maine Event

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_1119&key=137
This is a link to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Website. It shows that Maine's middle school laptop program is working. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

United Learning – Research Finding that Video Streaming Improved Achievement in VA

(PDF, 214 KB, 34 seconds)
This quantitative study analyzes the effect of using standards-based science and social studies video content on student learning. Researchers found significant gains in student performance when video technology was used.

More Information

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