Throughout Missouri, educators endeavor to harness the potential of technology to help realize their stated mission. More and more education leaders see the tremendous potential of technology. These educators believe that people are empowered by their independent use of information technologies, and that they are united by opportunities to share resources and communicate in our local and global communities. In this Information Age, it is essential that schools commit to the goal of preparing their students to work in an evolving, information-centered, global community. Given the rapid pace of technological change and the growth of information technologies in all aspects of our lives, it is critical that students become familiar with the tools of information technology. All students and staff must be competent in using these tools to obtain information, to communicate, and to solve problems. Therefore, it seems that technology proficiency is important both as an essential life skill curriculum area for the world of work and a powerful tool in the process of learning.

Educators must combine and integrate these tools with new models of instruction that acknowledge each student’s individual learning style, skills and abilities. It is important for us to ensure that each student has an opportunity to become a well-equipped lifelong learner. Technology application skills aren’t just for now—they are essential for the child’s future.

Highly successful schools will incorporate technology as a natural part of education through an integrated, comprehensive framework/plan to govern acquisition, application and evaluation of technological resources. In the effective use of technology, most schools have ensured that the technology has been curriculum/instruction driven and that it is equitably integrated into the total school environment.

The following excerpt from a school district technology vision statement defines the proficiencies to be developed in students and staff:

The district must provide appropriate technology so students will:

• become independent learners
• expand their knowledge and skill base
• improve critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills
• access, analyze, evaluate and communicate information in expedient, efficient, and creative formats
• work ethically, independently, and collaboratively with a diverse and changing population both within the classroom, the school, and beyond

The district must provide appropriate technology so staff can:

• improve instructional strategies to increase student achievement
• efficiently and accurately assess, monitor, and communicate student progress
• continually improve professional skills
• collaborate through sharing of skills and resources with colleagues, both within the district and beyond
• demonstrate and model leadership and vision in the use of technology to increase student achievement and staff productivity

Too often in the past schools have been preoccupied with the need to acquire hardware. The Missouri Census of Technology has now become a part of Core Data and has been institutionalized because of its significance to statewide planning. However, in conducting follow-up calls regarding the numbers of computers in schools and how they are used, it was obvious that many education leaders do not have a good sense of the relative health of either their technology capability or use. The ratio of computers to students has been a driving force, many times without regard for the capability, functionality, or connectivity of the hardware being counted. Obviously, the hardware is essential if other elements of a balanced approach to using technology are to become a reality. However, much more attention must be given to the content side of the equation.

Schools in the eMINTS project have demonstrated the power of the World Wide Web as a content resource. This project has presented very strong evidence that technology can be an important component of a school reform effort. More information regarding the eMINTS classrooms can be found on the web at emints.more.net. The Web has also provided ready access to a rich and varied source of teacher resources through excellent education clearinghouses such as our own SuccessLink and TeachersFirst as well as a myriad of subject matter specific sites sponsored by professional associations. Although high quality commercial software is available, mining the Web will provide access to wonderful materials and ideas, and many of these are free.

Likewise, on the content side, sources of data of particular use to education leaders in decision making are a vast array of tools and resources. In addition to the rich data provided on the DESE web site, OSEDA, The Digest of Education Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics and the U. S. Department of Education are locations worthy of a visit. Ultimately, the education leader can harness technology to make better decisions and can support those decisions with data rather than relying on intuition and guesswork.

Serious challenges remain regarding the full realization of the potential of technology in our schools. Not the least of these is whether we are committed to provide adequate training and in-service. The district must be committed to training administration, faculty and staff in relevant technology applications. It is understood that this training will be ongoing and continuous as technologies and applications change. Another critical part of the support equation is the district’s willingness to employ or otherwise secure adequate technology experts to conduct training, see that hardware is operating properly with a minimum of down time, and ensure connectivity and ease of access to resources. Leadership must also attend to important issues of standards and compatibility. Without this level of commitment, the district may have the hardware but realize little benefit in improving student performance and productivity.

by Howard Jones

As a rookie principal, the words of my opening assembly "we’re going to raise the bar" rang in my ears. Bringing in the Success Team would mean we admitted to needing help "raising the bar". However, there was little discussion. We would take all the free consulting we could get. Mr. Denbow soon put in the call to Mr. McSorley and our relationship with staff people at DESE, Truman State RPDC and many others was on its way.

The first meeting was a bit daunting as the entire staff met with Mr. McSorley and a group of folks ranging from state department supervisors to STARR teachers from Truman State. Our time was spent dissecting the performance standards and indicators so our staff completely understood the "rules of the game". Subsequent meetings involved looking at our strengths and weaknesses and strategies to improve our student performance.

The Success Team "consultants" helped us focus on performance areas for improvement. We developed and implemented strategies that worked for our staff and students. There were no "one size fits all" solutions. Besides the strategies and information gathered in the meetings, the staff developed relationships with the members of the Success Team. No longer did we have to navigate the maze of people and information at DESE on our own. I had people to contact and those people knew me. The personal relationships developed continue to be helpful. And rewarding.

February 2001, we went through our district MSIP review. Going into the review, we had improved our APR to 10 of 11. We worked hard and worked together. We felt positive about our accreditation but had one more goal to meet--to be accredited with distinction.

I remember being called back into the superintendent’s office as Mr. Denbow opened another letter from DESE. This one held significantly different content. We were recommended for accreditation with distinction. To celebrate with us, members of our Success Team traveled from several sites around the state as Mr. Denbow announced our recommendation. There were cheers and tears among colleagues who had a common goal –to improve the education of Silex R-I students.