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Technology Program Evaluation

Running head: TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

Technology Program Evaluation: Clayton County Public Schools Department of Technology

Benjamin Harris

Technology Program Evaluation

The Context
Technology is a necessary component in modern life and is evident in the increased focus
of the integration of technology in education. The researcher is the Coordinator of Instructional
Technology and is part of a team that supports a school district in its professional development.
The school district supports an area on the urban fringe of a large city. The district serves
approximately 53,000 students. The Department of Technology supports the district through
technology support and staff development. Digital Learning Specialists also support school
administrators and site facilitators in technology planning for the school year. Technology
integration in the classroom is supported and encouraged in the district, but there remains some
confusion and reluctance that hinders its ability to be ubiquitous. The Visions 2020 government
education technology plan states Advanced technologies under development by U.S.
businesses, universities, and government could create rich and compelling learning opportunities
that meet all learners needs, and provide education and training when and where they are
needed, while boosting the productivity of learning and lowering its costs (Ed.gov, 2004). With
the expenditure of resources going into the billions of dollars, it is essential that faculty and staff
make sound choices in technologys role at his or her school.

The Area of Focus Statement

The purpose of this research is to find out how professional development in the area of
instructional technology can be used most effectively to support and assess student learning.

The Statement of the Problem

Technology Program Evaluation

The researcher proposes to identify how the instructional technology department can provide
technology training that will allow greater staff involvement in technology and increase student
learning.

The Subproblems
The first subproblem is to determine the areas of need in the system that will necessitate more
technology professional development.
The next subproblem will analyze how to increase the motivation of staff members to accept and
use technology in the classroom.

The Hypotheses
The first hypothesis is that with the increased emphasis on online assessments, the schools will
have a greater need in preparing students for blended concepts.
The next hypothesis is that technology will become more accepted among teachers and staff once
training is specialized towards their needs.

The Delimitations
The study will not attempt to focus on the need of specific software or hardware training, but the
learning needs of students and the efficiency needs of teachers.

The Definition of Terms

Technology Program Evaluation

Hardware

Hardware is computer equipment that you can physically touch. Examples of

hardware are monitors, printers, scanners, etc..

Software

Software is computer programs that complete operations and coordinate actions of

hardware. Examples of software are Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, etc.

Assumptions
The faculty and staff have adequate access to various types of hardware and software at their
location.
The faculty and staff is capable of mastering basic skills in technology that should have been a
requirement for hire in their particular positions.
The faculty and staff will be completely honest about desires and concerns in the area of
technology.

The Importance of the Study

The Instructional Technology Department plays a major role in staff training, but is
these resources in time and capital equivalent to success in the classroom? Millions of dollars
are used by this school system to provide teachers with laptops, students with computer labs, and
classroom audio visual equipment in the schools. Teachers are required to teach lessons that
show effective technology integration.

The question is how can effective technology

integration be defined? The purpose of this research is to provide educators tools to increase
learning outcomes through the effective integration of technology. The researcher aims to figure
out how can such technology be used most effectively to support and assess student learning?

Technology Program Evaluation

Extensive research has been accomplished in this area by CARET, the Center for Applied
Research in Educational Technology and the Milken Exchange on Education Technology.
Instructional technology specialists will need to have a better focus and direction in staff
professional development to affect classroom instruction and greatly enhance the assessment and
learning support of students. With large economic resources at stake, technology tools should
have immediate impact on student achievement.
Needs Assessment
Taking a close look at the current technology organizational structure revealed three
symbiotically related strands: Information, Instructional, and Support Services. The information
strand focuses on the student information system and related data, the instructional strand
focuses on staff training, and the support services focuses on the technical support and repair of
available equipment. There exists a need to align the purchasing of equipment with these strands
in mind. Currently technology purchases can be made by outside departments such as Title I
without the consultation of any of the three strands. This creates a problem when the technology
department is asked to support the newly purchased software or devices because it may not
seamlessly coexist with the current available infrastructure. The purchasing leaders did not
possess any technical backgrounds; therefore, the fiscal decisions were made based upon their
own interpretations of classroom needs instead of research and collaboration with technology
staff.
Secondly, the systems in place by CCPS each form separate functions and have no data
interoperability. There is Thinkgate, an instructional information system, Edmodo, a learning
management system, and Infinite Campus, a student information system. None of these systems
talk to each other to streamline support for students and teachers. This is very frustrating for

Technology Program Evaluation

teachers, central office staff, parents, and even students when information is needed to inform
immediate decisions.
Action Steps
The Department of Technology should partner with the Title I department to discuss purchasing
decisions and collaborate to ensure that the instructional technology department can effectively
support schools and staff.

The Department of Technology should ensure that the new Instructional Improvement System is
able to integrate effectively with Infinite Campus. Also, it is important to monitor ways to better
integrate Edmodo into the CCPS infrastructure. The Edmodo district subdomain is a good start.
The next step is to explore ways that Edmodo can integrate into the districts active directory
system.

Technology Program Evaluation

References
(2004). Visions 2020.2: Student views on transforming education and training through advanced
technologies. Retrieved April 27, 2008, from Ed.gov Web site:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/documents/visions_20
202.pdf