CoSN Offers Title I Toolkit for Tech Leaders
The Consortium for School Networking
(CoSN) and the National Title I Association
(NASTID) have developed a new toolkit for education technology leaders to help
them strengthen their relationship with District Title I directors and develop
successful educational technology initiatives.
The report, "Rethinking Equity in a Digital Era: Forging a Strong Partnership
Between District Title I and Technology Leaders," includes background on Title
I, a list of key factors for successful educational technology implementations,
a discussion guide for technology planning in Title I programs and tips for
improving collaboration between the Title I director and district chief
technology officer. The toolkit also includes case studies of three Title I
districts that have successfully implemented educational technology initiatives.
"Title I directors are responsible for helping schools reach all of their
students with a high quality education. Technology has become an essential tool
to make that happen," said Bob Harmon, CEO of NASTID, in a prepared statement.
"This toolkit will enable educational leaders, through connections to both Title
I and CoSN, to integrate best practices using more of the tools they need to
close the achievement gap."
Topics covered in the toolkit's discussion guide include:
- Maintaining consistency between technology initiatives and the
district's technology plan;
- Planning educational technology initiatives based on goals for teaching
and learning;
- Supporting educators through professional development;
- Providing adequate IT infrastructure; and
- Addressing the issue of digital access outside of school.
The toolkit also includes information about
Connect2Compete, digital equity in other countries, guidelines for using
federal funding and the importance of community engagement.
The toolkit is available as a free PDF download from
CoSN's site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].