Leveraging Technology Leaders In Support of Continuous Improvement Outcomes

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School leaders remain committed to the success of their students, schools and communities. The commitment grows even as the pressures of diverse student populations, continued budget deficits and a persistent lean economy. Based on No Child Left Behind legislation, parents are increasingly aware of school choice options which place additional pressure on educational leaders for public education students to succeed. Like their district colleagues, technology leaders are also committed to student academic success and acknowledge the need to demonstrate how appropriate technology solutions enable student-centric learning environments that foster student success.

Along with increasing budget limitations and diverse student populations, district and school leaders feel pressures from students who want relevant learning experiences, teachers who want their children to succeed as class sizes increase, and taxpayers that want academic results that also prepare their children to be prepared to work successfully in a global workplace.

Much like a business environment that regularly leverages technology solutions to facilitate business success, educational leaders must effectively leverage those solutions within continuous improvement planning processes that result in academic success and preparation of students to work successfully in a global workplace.

In support of student academic and work place success, technology leaders acknowledge the need to be actively engaged in dialog about evidence-based strategies supporting continuous improvement plan outcomes. Examples of those strategies respected by educational leaders across our nation include “diagnostic” formative assessment, “frequent” feedback loops, “targeted” professional development, and the regular use of data to inform teaching and learning. These strategies resonate with educational leadership organizations such as the Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development (ASCD), National School Board Association (NSBA), and the Consortium of School Networking (COSN). To effectively leverage appropriate technology solutions towards student success, it remains important for technology leaders to develop and sustain collegial relationships with district and school leaders. The nurturing of the relationships allow for the day-to-day use of a common language about those evidence – based strategies that drive and inform short and long term strategic work.

Technology leaders focused on improved learning can improve the process of cultivating district and school leadership relationships by considering the follow steps:

1. Regularly demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the continuous improvement plan identified outcomes;
2. Align and budget for appropriate technology solutions that support the identified continuous improvement plan outcomes;
3. Promote the development of technology infused professional learning “within” evidence-based strategies identified in the continuous improvement plan; and
4. Regularly review journal articles such as Educational Leadership and/or The American School Board Journal to determine which technology solutions can enable evidence – based practices.

In business and educational accountability – oriented environments, it remains critical that appropriate technologies are aligned with and support continuous improvement plans, outcomes and respective strategies. With current support from leaders from the educational and private sectors, technology leaders are poised to have opportunities to be actively engaged in the continuous improvement planning processes that reflect educational leaders’ commitment to student, school and community success.

Our contributor, Ann Ware

Ann Ware serves as an educational consultant to local school districts, local and national educational organizations and the private sector. She has worked in the Georgia K-12 educational community for thirty plus years with experiences at the classroom, school, district, and state level. For ten years, she served Henry County Schools as the Director of Technology Services and fostered the value of strong school improvement relationships among district and school leaders. She served the state in her work at the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) while working as the Associate Superintendent for Instruction and then the Interim Deputy Superintendent for Technology Services. While working at the GaDOE, she fostered the value of a common language within school improvement planning process and appropriate technology infused professional development. She advanced the process of aligning appropriate technologies within proven research-based strategies for regular use within classroom practices and subsequent targeted professional development. Ann values collaboration with local district leaders and the private sector on leveraging technology solutions that support positive student outcomes.