Degree Name

Education Specialist (EdS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1999

Thesis Director

Larry Janes

Abstract

Technology continues to be a topic of great interest and concern in the educational community. The educational system is responsible for preparing students so that they can function successfully in life and work in the world of today and tomorrow. The interest and concern regarding technology in the educational setting has spread in recent years to include the sectors of business and politics. East Maine School District No. 63, where the author of this study is employed as a Library/Media Specialist, has not developed a formal technology plan as recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education. The purpose of this study was to analyze technology plans emphasizing the major area components of staff development and budget/financial, as well as to provide guidelines for technology plans that would include strong staff development emphasis. This study was designed to assist suburban Chicago elementary school districts in Illinois in designing technology plans, which would allow the districts to compete in the acquisition of technology funding essential in the successful integration of technology into the classrooms. The specific objectives of this study were to: 1. Study, analyze, and evaluate a variety of technology plans; 2. Identify different types of staff development training utilized and the person(s) responsible for the implementation of the staff development training; 3. Provide guidelines for the development of technology plans including effective staff development.

Following the author's observation of a Peer Review Process directed by the North Cook Intermediate Service Center #1 and review of the literature and research, technology plans were collected from selected suburban elementary school districts supervised by the Regional Office of Education/North Cook Intermediate Service Center #1 in Cook County, Illinois. The analysis of the technology plans included studying, then ranking all 16 component areas of the Technology Plan Progress Guidelines. Two of the component areas, Table of Contents and Executive Summary, received a ranking of either Yes or No. The Progress Guidelines included four categories for ranking the other 14 component areas. These categories rank from low to high and are identified as follows: Beginning, Emerging, Advancing and Exceeding. Findings indicated that the technology plans were varied in size, depth of information and quality of content. Also, the study revealed that districts were actively revising their existing technology plans. The findings indicated that the majority of the technology plans did not receive a ranking higher than Emerging, with a total of nine plans not meeting minimum criteria as established by the ISBE. Four technology plans were determined to meet or exceed the minimum criteria in all 16 component areas of the Technology Plan Progress Guidelines, as required of technology grant participants by the Illinois State Board of Education, and these four districts could apply competitively for eligible federal and/or state funding. The findings of the study indicated that the component areas of staff development and budget/financial did not receive adequate emphasis in the technology plans.

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