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Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
Ritter Annex 9th Floor
Temple University - CRHDE
Philadelphia, PA 19122
800-892-5550
215-204-5130 (fax)
General Inquires:
Laurence Peters
Judith Stull
Technical Assistance:
Barry Mansfield
Professional Development:
Joan Pasternak
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Temple University Center for Research
in Human Development and Education |
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Scientifically Based Research: Evaluating Vendor Claims
No Child Left Behind requires that curriculum vendors provide proof that they are applying appropriate research design, methods, and techniques when stating their claims. Furthermore, this research must be replicable and published in a peer-reviewed journal. MAR*TEC presents a software review chart that details curriculum offerings and examines the scientifically based evidence provided by vendors.
Hardware
Diminishing Resources and Greater Expectations
Technology leaders are currently faced with diminishing resources and greater expectations from federal, state, and local governing bodies; local communities; and professional organizations. Three strategies that are currently helping school districts meet these expectations include zero-based budgeting, consortiums to support purchasing and services, and IT outsourcing. |
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Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
TCO is a model for predicting and analyzing complete technology costs—capital costs, technical support costs, administration costs, and end-user operations/downtime. TCO tools for educators include a schoolwide tool (K–12 TCO Calculator) and a districtwide level tool (Taking TCO to the Classroom). Both tools are free and available online.
Refreshment Cycles
Best practice IT strategies require a managed refresh program, which proactively replaces educational technology on a regular basis. It uses cycles of 3 years for desktop computers and 2 years for notebook computers. Server-based computing models stretch the cycle to 4 years and 3 years, respectively. Benefits of a managed refresh cycle include piggybacking migrations to a new system on refresh cycle, improving ongoing support, and supporting successful software distribution.
Technical Support
School systems traditionally implement three types of technical support systems: outsourcing, student technical support, and in-house support. The Richardson Intermediate School District in Texas outsources its equipment life cycle management, thus reducing the operating budget by $1.2 million. Students are well suited to provide the following types of technical support: conduct inventories, research solutions, test security patches, develop maintenance schedules, conduct routine maintenance, manage laptop carts, tutor other students, perform diagnostic tests, and create tutorials. In-house technical support must follow documented procedures when conducting enterprise-wide technical support.
Laptop Initiatives: How Are They Working?
More than 1 million students and teachers in the United States are using laptop computers. Maine and Michigan have gained national headlines with statewide initiatives. Initial evaluations of laptop programs indicate that teachers, students, administrators, and parents perceive that one-to-one computing access is beneficial to education. However, perceptions are not a solid basis for spending millions of dollars on technology equipment. Three evaluation studies matched laptop students with similar nonlaptop peers; the research showed a positive correlation between participation in laptop programs and increased academic achievement.
Handheld Initiatives: How Are They Working?
Many educators believe that technology cannot impact student achievement until students have convenient and sustained access to the technology. Consequently, some educators believe that handheld devices are the answer because of their cost, size, and functionality. Educators, however, need proof of the efficacy of these tools in order to justify the expense of professional development and the machines. While several studies have been conducted, the research community has not yet provided proof based on an experimental or quasi-experimental research design.
Conclusion
The 17 chapters of the MAR*TEC Technology Coordinators’ Handbook were distributed to over 160 members during 2005. In addition to pushing information to MAR*TEC subscribers, MAR*TEC staff encouraged technology coordinators to communicate their stories, successes, and lessons learned. MAR*TEC received valuable information from the technology coordinators in the mid-Atlantic region. For instance, Amy Stewart—Director of Technology at the Warren County School District in Pennsylvania—explained that integrating thin client systems into the school district made sense because of the aging infrastructure. The district installed over 600 thin client devices to serve 9 buildings (dispersed across 780 square miles) and 5,700 students. Although the district has increased its computing capacity, it has not had to hire additional technical staff. The centralized server and low maintenance has proved a budget lifesaver in Warren County. Additionally, the installation of technology infrastructure has contributed to a standardization of curriculum. Because the technology committee now approves software installations (it is no longer done on single machines), the district curriculum committee now has a better sense of what software products are used in which classrooms. This was an unintended consequence of the technology upgrade. Stewart also describes improved communication among administrators, teachers, and technology staff as an unintended consequence.
The MAR*TEC Technology Coordinators’ Handbook succeeded in pushing information to the district leaders and helping them establish and justify technology policies and practices. It also pulled information from each participant and allowed collaboration among the region.
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