Assessing+Adminstrator's+Use+of+Technology

**Assessing Administrators’ Use of Technology **

The purpose of the survey is to evaluate administrators' use of technology in order to guide professional development for administrators in the next (2012 – 2013) school year.

Before designing a needs assessment of the administrative team, it is important to review the goals for administrators in Southern Lehigh’s Educational Technology Report. One of these goals is having highly qualified staff as measured by “engagement in professional development experiences” (SLSD, 2011, p. 18). The report adds that the district has installed “standardized, consistent software packages [Microsoft Office, iWorks, iLife, Follett, and Sapphire] … on every computer in the district, in order to maintain consistency and ease of administration and training” (SLSD, 2011, p. 6). These goals show the important of administrators being able to use technology hardware and software to ensure they can effectively fulfill their administrative duties. To develop and maintain these skills the district provides opportunities for professional development.

The NET Standards for Administrators stress the importance modeling and promoting frequent and effective technology use. The second NET Standard states that administrators will promote a digital-age learning culture by modeling and promoting “frequent and effective use of technology” (ISTE, 2009b, p. 1). The third standard notes that administrators will promote excellence in professional practice by modeling “effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders using digital age tools” (ISTE, 2009b, p. 1). Finally, the fourth standard adds that administrators will provide systemic improvement in leadership and management by using “technology effectively and proficiently to advance academic and operational goals” (ISTE, 2009b, p. 2).

The final purpose of the needs assessment is to analyze the administrative team’s proficiency in National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A). The Educational Technology Report states the district will “develop a differentiated plan for all … administrators to develop a personal professional growth plan to demonstrate proficiency in the NET Standards” (SLSD, 2011, p. 18). The challenge was to devise a survey that would assess these NET Standards for Administrators.

I generated a survey using Google Docs that is based upon the Education Technology Report’s goals for the administrative team’s effective and proficient use of technology and NETS-A. In addition, I used ISTEs Essential Conditions document to generate questions for the survey. The link for the Google Docs survey “Assessing Administrators’ Use of Technology” is []

**Reflections **

This activity fulfills the requirements for
 * I.A. Identification, selection, installation and maintenance of technology infrastructure, and hardware and software applications for school administration and instruction including: **
 * **Assessment of educational and administrative technological needs **
 * I.C. Management and administration of technology programs at the building, district and regional levels including: **
 * **Monitoring and evaluating technology plans **

The activity was to “design a needs assessment of our Administrative team to guide [their] Professional Development for the 12-13 school year.” The activity fulfills PDE requirements by assessing administrative technological needs (IA) and evaluating if they fulfill the goals of the technology plan (IC).

The process of creating this survey was much like the Administrators Evaluating Teacher Use of Technology. The purposes of evaluating administrators’ use of technology are to ensure they can effectively use technology tools to perform their administrative responsibilities, and they are modeling technology use to teachers. Bradburn, the project director of North Carolina’s 1:1 initiative, gave additional advice—”Administrators should participate in PD sessions to create buy-in for the project [i.e. 1:1 initiative]. They should also look for and comment on teachers who use the tools in their classrooms to set expectations for the project” (2012, p. 4).

An additional challenge was to devise a survey that would assess NET Standards for Administrators. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">As I searched for sample administrative assessment tools, I discovered a few useful websites and observation tools. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|LoTi] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">, Levels of Technology Innovation, offers online assessments that are aligned to ISTE’s NETS for Teachers and Administrators and 21st Century Skills. In order to use LoTi’s assessments, one must belong to an organization with a LoTi account. However, Partnership for 21st Century Skills offers a free assessment tool called <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|MILE Guide Self-Assessment Survey] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">. When using this survey, administrators can assess how their schools implement 21st Century Skills. A wiki called <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Admin Learning <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> offers additional tools for Administrators.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">References **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Bradburn, F. (2012). //Lessons learned –1:1 learning initiative pilot (DRAFT//). Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/portals/0/Frances%20Bradburn_lessons%20learned_draft%202_12_VAULT.pdf

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">ISTE. (2009a). //Essential Conditions.// Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETSEssentialConditions.sflb.ashx

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">ISTE. (2009b). //ISTE NETS-A.// Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">P21. (2011). //Mile guide self-assessment survey.// Retrieved from http://mileguide.p21.org/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Southern Lehigh School District. (2011). //Educational technology report//. Retrieved from http://www.slsd.org/files/filesystem/Ed%20Tech%20Plan.pdf