Smart Classroom

Free Online Assessment Evaluates a School's Technology Needs

• By Michael Hart
• 10/26/16

An educational technology consulting firm has created a 20-question online assessment tool it says will help schools and school districts determine if they are prepared to support the technology needs of K-12 students.

Networld Solutions has prepared the Education Technology Strategic Assessment (ETSA) as a tool available to K-12 educators and technology managers. Among the needs the company said the ETSA will assess are the 21^st-century needs for one-to-one computing, BYOD (bring your own device), classroom technology, 10Gbps network infrastructure and WiFi demands.

The 20-question assessment, which can be taken at any time online, will also determine an institution's potentially unmet demand for Internet access, private-cloud file storage and e-portfolios.

The questions are divided into four sections dealing with different components of a school's educational technology strategy and infrastructure:

• Education technology initiatives;
• Project management office;
• Education technology standards; and
• Information technology organization.

The San Diego-based Networld Solutions has been consulting for school districts in California on one-to-one computing and BYOD programs for 20 years. However, the company said, this is the first time it has ever offered its ETSA for free.

Examples of questions on the online assessment include:

• Does your school have an education technology strategic plan based on your school's BOE and/or LCAP goals?
• Are all technology initiatives fully funded?