As highlighted in the EmpowerED Superintendent Toolkit, there are three essential focus points of smart IT decision making: total cost of ownership (TCO), student outcomes and budgeting management, and the value of the investment. In “Leadership Strategies for Scaling, Sustaining, and Budgeting for Education Technology Innovations,” three education leaders discuss critical strategic technology planning and investments implemented in their districts to scale and sustain long-term innovation effectively.
As school districts continue to amass large amounts of data about students, teachers, and educational resources each year, using the data in ways that lead to effective decisions and inform stakeholders has become increasingly important.
Presented by Jim Larimore, Chief Officer for Equity in Learning, Riiid Labs; Madison Jacobs, Co-Founder, The EdTech Equity Project; and Vic Vuchic, Chief Innovation Officer, Digital Promise Global, and Executive Director, Digital Promise Learner Variability Project (LVP)
Moderated by Barbara A. Pape, Director of Policy and Communications, Learner Variability Project, Digital Promise
Presented by Dr. Julie A. Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Project Tomorrow; and Monica Cougan, Manager, Strategic Relationships and Initiatives, ENA and CatchOn
Presented by Erin Mote, Co-founder and Executive Director, InnovateEDU; Dan Cogan-Drew, Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer, Newsela; Diane W. Doersch, Director of Technology, Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Program, Digital Promise; and Dr. Courtney Teague, Director of Professional Learning Content and Learner Experience, Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Program, Digital Promise Global
Moderated by Sierra Noakes, Research Project Director, Lifelong Learning Pathways, Digital Promise
While educators and school district administrators have grown used to reviewing assessment results and other forms of student data, they may not yet be looking at newer and increasingly important metrics such as online engagement, trending use of apps, and the return on investments in software.
Schools and districts can continue to benefit from the federal government’s stimulus dollars through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021, the third iteration of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). These monies could drive the design of transformational initiatives with the potential for long-term impact.
Presented by Carl Hooker, Educator and Author, HookerTech, LLC; Doug Mesecar, Former EdTech Senior Executive and U.S. Department of Education Deputy Chief of Staff; and Harrison Parker, Vice President of Operations, NetRef
Due to COVID-19, most of our educational systems reflect a new normal, with hybrid and remote learning, increased use of technology, and teacher professional development. In a recent edLeader Panel sponsored by Boxlight, Dr. Alex Leis, CEO, and Krista Walker, Professional Development Program Manager of Boxlight-EOS, discussed the challenges and successes of professional development with panelists from Clayton County Public Schools (GA) and Phoenix Union High School District (AZ).
Edtech is no longer a one-time purchase or a luxury item—it’s integrated across every system in school districts from the central office to classrooms to school buses. But for district leaders, the active support of the board and community stakeholders is just as important as the strategic tech plan and budget. In the edWebinar, “Strategic Technology Planning and Investment: Priorities, Cost and Impacts in Today’s Learning Environments,” sponsored by ClassLink and co-hosted by CoSN and AASA, three superintendents shared how they turn their stakeholders into advocates for a sustainable technology system in their districts.