EDLD Instructional Leadership Week 2 Blog #2

Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020
Most districts in the Teaching and Learning area are in the Developing Technology range. Between 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 the Advanced Technology range has improved. The positive aspect of the progress report is that few schools are reporting in the Early Technology range, however few schools are also reporting in the Target Technology range. The good news is that we are aware of our technology deficiencies and are actively trying to do something about it.

In general the 2006-2020 progress report was modeled after the 1st progress report 1988-2000. Several surveys were conducted for the progress report, many of those posed to students. In the 2007 Net Day Speak Up survey for students some interesting results were found. Students in grades K-2 reported using technology primarily to play games. When asked about how they use technology at school, they reported mostly to play learning games. Other close front runners were taking tests or to practice reading, math, or writing. Students in grades 3-5 use technology primarily to play video games or online games. Students in those grades reported that for school work they primarily use computers for research. Students in grades 6-8 most commonly use technology for video games, online games, downloading music, social networking sites, or e-mail. These students reported using computers for school work mainly for research. The final group, students in grades 9-12, reported using technology mostly for downloading music. For class work students reported using technology for writing assignments or research the most. In this same survey parents and teachers were also surveyed. Parents reported many positive outlooks for increased technology. They reported that technology was helping in "accessing and monitoring their child's education" (p. 8 December 2008). In addition parents also reported "...being better informed about school events, being better informed about their child's grades and overall achievement level, feeling more connected to the school, being better informed about homework, assignments, and tests, and being better able to help their child with homework" (p. 8 December 2008). The teacher survey indicated that a majority of teachers identify with being average tech users.

Reports of the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) were also listed in the 2008 progress report. The TIP program enables students and teachers to have access to technology proven to facilitate student academic growth. This program is providing teachers the opportunities to follow the technology plan outlined in the 2006-2020 Texas Long-Range Technology plans.

If we don't know where we have been how can we know where we are going? As a state planning allows us to know what steps we need to take in order to be proactive towards our technology incorporation into schools. The state provides the guide for districts to model their schools by and teachers to model their classrooms on. Local districts can check their progress by the state plan and see how they measure up and what changes need to be made in order to continue improving.


Texas Education Agency. (2008, December). Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020. Retrieved from the TEA website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/.

Texas Education Agency. (2010, December). 2010 Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. Retrieved from the TEA website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/.