A dissertation completed at The Center for Education, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
A COMPARISON OF THE IMPORTANCE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS AND SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENTS PLACE ON SELECTED USES OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY Anne Maureen Durkan-Reusche, Ed. D. March 14, 2001
RETURN edited 5/14/01

ABSTRACT

A Comparison of the Importance Pennsylvania School Superintendents and School Board Presidents Place on Indicators of Effective Use of Educational Technology According to the 2000 Technology Purchasing Forecast report issued by Quality Education Data, United States public schools have spent more than $27 billion on computer technology and related expenses in the last five years. Reported by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (November, 2000), the Clinton-Gore Administration invested more than $8 billion in educational technology in America from 1995-2000. More than $250 million of that amount went to Pennsylvania's educational technology initiatives. Policymakers and the public are starting to look for an indication that the money used for educational technology has been well spent. Questions pertaining to the amount spent to fund technology initiatives in comparison with the impact on improved student achievement have become a common topic of discussion for many legislators and within school communities.

As the key decision-makers and leaders within a school community, the superintendent and school board president play a significant role in influencing the role technology has in their district. Understanding what each of these school leaders value in terms of use and effectiveness of technology is important and could impact the level of support for technology that their school districts will receive at the local, state, and federal level.

What indicators of effective use of technology will each look for as they continue to make decisions regarding the increased spending in the area of technology? Will they look for improved test scores, increased work skills,improved learning environments, or an increase in student motivation to learn? The decision to invest school district funds on technology can be greatly influenced and ultimately determined by the school superintendent and school board president.

The purpose of this study was to investigate what Pennsylvania public school superintendents and school board presidents value in terms of technology use in their school district. In addition to examining and comparing general level of support for technology, this study endeavored to discern what superintendents and school board presidents consider to be the most important purpose for using technology. This study investigated the perceptions of Pennsylvania public school superintendents and school board presidents in areas related to technology, identified indicators which each value as in effective use of technology in schools, and analyzed the extent to which these two entities agree or disagree. A survey was administered to school board presidents and superintendents in the state of Pennsylvania to gather perceptual data regarding the indicators of effective use of technology in schools today.

The research from this study indicates that there is a high degree of agreement between Pennsylvania school board presidents and school superintendents regarding the positive impact of technology on the quality of education our children receive. The evidence garnered from this study indicates that both school board presidents and school superintendents consistently place a similar level of importance on the same indicators of effective use of technology in schools. Increased access to information was identified as the most effective use of technology in schools. When asked to identify the value or importance of technology to improve student achievement, respondents consistently ranked this as the lowest indicator of effective use.

TO TOP