School Technology Policies

Link to this article on American Association of School Administrators (AASA) site.

Although educational technology is radically redefining instructional delivery for our students, the school community may not have a clear understanding of the value and necessity for school technology policies. The challenge many districts and schools face is sometimes thinly veiled hostility over the restrictions placed on school technology (especially Internet resources) by well-meaning technology administrators.

As educators, we are responsible for keeping students safe at all times, even while using technology to complete school tasks. If that means blocking sites and placing restrictions on what students see, then that may be a reality. However, you can “soften the blow” or even enlist the help of others in the community when setting expectations around technology use in your school or district. (Taranto & Abbondanza, ; Wayman & Stringfield, 2006)

1. Know the Territory. You may not be aware of the specific legal restrictions placed on schools and administrators when electronic data is involved, so brush up on a few topics. Start with the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to find out more about what data must be protected from prying eyes. This is especially true when you have purchased applications that manage your student data or scoring information. Have you carefully looked through the contracts and made sure they are keeping data securely and protecting student and staff privacy? Next, review the Children’s Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, a law that provides guidelines on what students may see online and what must be filtered.
2. Build a Team. School administrators often assemble “go to” teams when specific issues arise, and this topic is no different. Create a small committee of administrators, technology support staff, teachers, parents and even a few students, and discuss some of your challenges with inappropriate student uses of technology at your school. Will you discuss cell phone use, inappropriate web site access, school technology availability, or something else that is currently troubling you? By discussing these topics with your team, you will be able to hear alternate opinions and brainstorm solutions that fit for your school or district. There is no one-size-fits-most solution for school technology challenges, so work with your team to find the best ideas for your community. Another positive side effect? They will be your advocates as you move forward with the group’s ideas. (Staksrud & Livingstone, 2009)
3. Be Consistent. In the eyes of the courts, consistency is essential. Whether you have already been challenged, or know that students are acting out through technology use, it is important to follow your policies consistently. Court decisions are varied because technology’s influence is so new, so make the judge’s job easier to rule in your favor by maintaining a consistent approach when there is a technology infraction. (Reilly, 2000; Quinn, 2003) Enlist the help of your team to develop the consequences of inappropriate technology use, too!
4. Revisit the Issues. Finally, let the policies emerge and change as technology emerges and changes. Many technology policies are outdated even before they are published because they are too narrow and focus on specific applications instead of the overarching concepts of instructional technology. Review your technology policies annually (quarterly is better) to accommodate any changes in your school or district’s use of school technology. Discuss them with your staff, review the incidents in your school at a high level, and then do what good administrators do best: communicate.

Schools are often caught in a very difficult position when technology is concerned, because the perceptions of students, staff members, and parents can be very different. (Tang & Austin, 2009) One approach for solving these problems will come from a support team, because the team members can be your “eyes and ears” in the school. However, nothing replaces the value and importance of direct involvement of an administrator to solve emerging issues dynamically. Policies are part of the role of school administrators, but the incorporation of policies into school culture does not have to be difficult when you have built awareness for the need, enlisted the help of others, and created appropriate guidelines.

Links

• FERPA
• CIPA

Learn More
For more on this topic, read Smarter Clicking: School Technology Policies that Work! a joint publication with Corwin Press, AASA and NASSP. This book will be available to all AASA members who join the AASA Professional Library by March 5, 2010. The text is designed to provide ready, effective access to dozens of resources and processes to protect students using technology.

About the Author
Christopher Wells is the director of IT standards and communications for Gwinnett County Public Schools, the largest school district in Georgia. With over 160,000 students in the district, he responds to the diverse, creative ways technology is being used in classrooms. By incorporating realistic examples and messages with humor, compassion, and vision, Wells presents regularly to diverse audiences and leaves listeners focused and energized on the development of new resources for students and teachers. Email Christopher at cwells@schooltechpolicies.com or visit his web site: www.schooltechpolicies.com.

References

Quinn, D. M. (2003). Legal issues in educational technology: Implications for school leaders. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(2), 187-209.

Reilly, R. (2000). Laying down the law: Crafting Acceptable Use Policy. Multimedia Schools, 7(5), 78-81.

Staksrud, E., & Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and online risk. Information, Communication & Society, 12(3), 364-387.

Tang, T. L.-P., & Austin, M. J. (2009). Students’ perceptions of teaching technologies, application of technologies, and academic performance. Computer & Education, 53(4), 1241-1255.

Taranto, G., & Abbondanza, M. Powering students up. Principal Leadership, 10(4), 38-42.

Wayman, J. C., & Stringfield, S. (2006). Technology-supported involvement of entire faculties in examination of student data for instructional improvement. American Journal of Education, 112(4), 549-571.