A school board that champions education technology might understandably be tempted to become intricately involved in its implementation. But leaving implementation details to a district technology team or to technology personnel is probably best. Through such delegation, the school board maintains its appropriate role as the body that makes policy, approves financial expenditures, and appoints top school personnel. And at the same time, the board empowers district professionals, thereby increasing their commitment to the technology project and their personal investment in it. But the school board has one final responsibility in implementing a technology plan, and that is the ongoing evaluation of the plan.
Evaluation is codified in our district's goal statements.
Gathering the information to answer these questions need not be difficult. In fact, it's possible to do so and demonstrate board support for the staff's efforts at the same time. Our solution is to hold a board meeting at a local school, where a realistic on-site demonstration shows what progress is being made toward meeting the district's technology mission and fulfilling its technology plan. When a school board makes a commitment to technology, it sends a strong message to students, staff, and community. By making this commitment, the board is altering significantly how the schools will be run, how teachers will teach, and how students will learn.