How the role of the CIO has been elevated to K12 district leader

“What once seemed like an ambitious goal in terms of the effective use of technology to support both the academic and business operations within a school district is now closer to reality,” concludes a new report.

If you were to look back on how your district utilized instructional technologies before 2020, what would stand out? Does every student have their own device? Are educators using artificial intelligence as a teaching aid? Do students have access to 24/7 online tutoring? Chances are, you’ve answered no to most of those questions. Nowadays, technology is central to student learning, and there’s no sign of that changing any time soon.

While the role of a district superintendent or school administrator is vital to these operations, the importance of an in-tune, data-oriented chief information officer has never been more important. Since the pandemic, the explosion of edtech has elevated the role of the CIO to a digital leader in K12 districts, so says a new report by Project Tomorrow, a nonprofit that supports the effective implementation of successful, research-based learning experiences for K12 students.

“What once seemed like an ambitious goal in terms of the effective use of technology to support both the academic and business operations within a school district is now closer to reality,” the report reads. “The pandemic and resulting seismic shifts in school models opened the eyes of many to see technology use through a new lens.”

Similar to the thoughts of educators and school administrators, 81% of district technology leaders have noted an exacerbated workload since the pandemic, according to the report. They link this increased workload to new expectations from internal stakeholders, families and students. With this newfound reliance on district technology leaders comes an entirely new view of the profession. Now, they’re one of the most important voices in a school system.

To help school administrators and CIOs better understand the ongoing evolution of district technology leaders, the authors of the report highlighted four key findings based on the shared experiences of technology leaders revealed in the 2020-21 Speak Up Research Project.

Here’s a look at the key findings from the report:

As a result of the expansion of digital technologies, the role of the district CIO extends into the classroom:

The use of instructional technology in and outside of the classroom has grown to a level unseen before the pandemic. For instance, here’s a look at how schools utilized digital tools and resources in 2020-21 compared to 2017-18:

  • 1:1 assignment of student devices:
    • 2001-21: 92%
    • 2017-18: 34%
  • Online courses for students:
    • 2020-21: 74%
    • 2017:18: 36%
  • Providing teachers with online professional learning:
    • 2021-21: 81%
    • 2017-18: 63%

Districts are adopting cloud applications to meet academic and business operational goals:

In 2011, only 19% of district leaders considered making the move to cloud-based applications. Ten years later amid the pandemic, 86% of districts reported already using cloud strategies as part of their technology vision. However, this uptick has led to new concerns among technology leaders,

“One concern is the privacy and protection of the data derived from the increased use of digital tools, and the other is whether school and district internet bandwidth capacity will be able to support both current and future connectivity needs,” the report reads.

Bandwidth continues to be a challenge for many districts despite an increase in focus on technology use:

  • Nearly 40% of principals say bandwidth capacity is a restricting factor in opting to use more digital resources in the classroom.
  • More than half (54%) of students in grades 6-12 complain about slow internet in their classrooms.
  • 63% of teachers say they need better internet connectivity to effectively incorporate instructional technologies.

While district leaders may not want to hear this news, the findings are demanding enhanced connectivity required for positive development, the report mentions.

Technology leaders have a clear vision for the use and implementation of tools and resources that best fit their district’s goals:

As the role of the CIO becomes more demanding, they’re embracing it by developing visions for how technology can be better utilized in the classroom. These visions are becoming more and more informed by the effects of the pandemic. As mentioned previously, at the center of it all is the “absolute need” for increased internet bandwidth capacity.

Takeaways

So how can district and technology leaders ensure that instruction technologies are being utilized successfully? Well, that’s entirely based on the discussions between school administrators and their technology leaders. However, the report offers three thoughts you can use for further discussion:

  • “Understanding the potential capabilities of various new digital and online tools and resources to transform user experiences, both in the classroom and the central office.”
  • “Having experience in how to implement those tools and resources effectively from an enterprise perspective and with the requisite security provisions in place to protect valuable assets including student data.”

“Connecting the dots between usage and tangible outcomes that support the mission-critical goals of their district.”


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Micah Ward
Micah Wardhttps://districtadministration.com
Micah Ward is a District Administration staff writer. He recently earned his master’s degree in Journalism at the University of Alabama. He spent his time during graduate school working on his master’s thesis. He’s also a self-taught guitarist who loves playing folk-style music.

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