Research
Report: Many Schools Have Implemented Common Core, Lack Bandwidth for Tests
In districts that have adopted the Common Core State Standards, 95.7 percent
of schools have already implemented the standards or are in the process of doing
so, while the remaining 4.3 percent are still in the planning stage, according
to a new survey of public school principals. However, only 53.6 percent report
that they have sufficient bandwidth to conduct online assessments.
The report, "4th
Annual Principals' Assessment of Public Education," was conducted by MCH Strategic Data in partnership with edWeb.net and surveyed more than 500
elementary, middle and high school principals from across the country. According
to a news release from MCH Strategic Data, the survey is "designed to track
trends within K-12 schools" and "provide a snapshot of the current state of
schools as they implement Common Core and college and career readiness
standards, develop student data privacy policies and establish a better
understanding of what constitutes 21st century learning."
The report found that a primary concern for public school principals is
sufficient access to technology for curriculum and instruction. Implementation
of Common Core State Standards and preparation for PARCC and Smarter Balanced
online assessments are the primary driving forces behind technology purchases
for 58.6 percent of principals.
Additional key findings from the survey include:
- 53.6 percent of schools reported they have sufficient bandwidth for online
assessments, 23.8 percent do not, and 22.6 percent said they aren't sure how they will
meet the requirements for online assessments;
- 24.2 percent of principals said they plan to purchase increased bandwidth, 12.1
percent saidd they plan to purchase mobile devices, and 63.6 percent plan to purchase
both;
- 76.4 percent of teachers use online collaboration and professional
tools;
- 48.2 percent of teachers use both school and personal technology to
access services and tools, and 42.9 percent use primary school technology
for professional purposes;
- 90.7 percent of districts reported they have written policies intended to protect
student data; and
- 54.7 percent of principals told researchers they are not concerned about their network
security and loss of student data, while 45.3 percent have security
concerns.
The complete report is available as a free PDF download from MCH Strategic Data's site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].