Analyzing Edtech with a Lens on Student Achievement

Presented by Rebekah Kim, Director of Instructional Supports, Burien, WA; Susan Enfield, Superintendent of Highline Public Schools, Burien, WA; and Mark Finstrom, Chief Technology Officer, Burien, WA
Sponsored by Digital Promise

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In this edWebinar, Burien, Washington’s Susan Enfield, Superintendent of Highline Public Schools; Mark Finstrom, Chief Technology Officer; and Rebekah Kim, Director of Instructional Supports discuss the district’s development and implementation of their edtech analysis process. The presenters focus on the district’s strategic priorities and the work district leaders have accomplished around edtech assessment. This presentation answers the following important questions:

• How do districts establish an edtech analysis process?
• Where do they start and how do they move forward with gaining district buy-in?
• How do districts assess the efficacy of a product’s use?
• How do districts identify the edtech tools that should be assessed and articulate the pilot goals of each edtech tool?
• What happens if the assessment of an edtech tool has unfavorable results?

The district has developed an edtech analysis process designed to assess the quality and impact of edtech products currently implemented in classrooms, along with efficacy studies around potential edtech solutions. Through examples and a rich discussion of the district’s history in developing their assessment process, the presenters provide attendees with take-home strategies for establishing and improving their own edtech assessment processes and practices. This recorded edWebinar will benefit K-12 educators and district leaders.

About the Presenters

Rebekah Kim is a passionate educator with a lens and mindset of ensuring that all students are provided with accessible content and learning opportunities. Before joining central office, Rebekah served as a building principal for 12 years. As a principal, she spent time with her leadership team studying the instructional goals and student outcomes of edtech programs to ensure quality of program content was meeting the differentiated needs of her students.

In her role as Director of Instructional Support in Burien, WA this year, she leads the support of overall efforts related to a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), personalized learning, social emotional literacy and highly capable programs. Rebekah graduated from University of Washington with a Master of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She is a recent program graduate of the AASA/USC Urban Superintendent Academy.

Knowing every student by name, strength and need is the promise of Highline Public Schools in Burien, WA. Under the leadership of Superintendent Susan Enfield, the district is implementing a bold, four-year strategic plan that calls for at least 19 out of 20 students being proficient by third grade, passing algebra by ninth grade and graduating bilingual, biliterate, tech-savvy, and tech-literate.

A former high school teacher, Susan served as Chief Academic Officer and then as Interim Superintendent for Seattle Public Schools before joining Highline in 2012. She previously held leadership positions in Evergreen Public Schools (Vancouver, WA), Portland Public Schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Susan is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and earned master’s degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University. She also holds a doctoral degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard’s Urban Superintendents Program.

Mark Finstrom serves as Chief Technology Officer for Highline Public schools, serving nearly 22,000 students in Washington State. A 20-year technology veteran, he has in-depth expertise in strategic planning and operations. Mr. Finstrom is a member of cabinet, designs and orchestrates Highline’s strategic roadmap, leads the technical team and works closely with end-users and partners. Mr. Finstrom is a nationally recognized technologist. He holds a Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) certificate and is involved in several national and regional education groups. He serves as a board member for the Association of Computer Professionals in Education and a board member for the Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum Education.

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Digital Promise was created with the mission to accelerate innovation in education to improve opportunities to learn.