Mark Evans

Andover Public Schools (USD 385)

Andover, Kansas

Evans is passionate about the many applications of technology for K-12 education and understands that students are technology natives. In tough budget times, he has used technology to improve efficiencies and hold down costs.

Upon joining the district seven years ago, Evans began expanding the use of technology not only in student learning, but also in district communications and management. When Evans arrived, Andover Public Schools had 2,500 students in six independently operating schools. Today, it has 5,200 students in 11 fully integrated schools, including its two-year-old virtual school. And student achievement has increased along with technology use: In 2011, the average ACT composite score of the district’s students was 23.9, compared to a state average of 22 and a national average of 21.1.

Over the past five years, Andover’s technology advancements include high-definition video surveillance for keeping its schools safe; Alio integrated business software; a VBlock data center for virtual computing; use of social media tools such as Edmodo, Facebook, and Twitter to communicate with students and stakeholders; online human resources and enrollment applications; School Messenger notification system; Promethean ActivBoards in classrooms; BoardDocs meeting software; podcasting; and interactive collaboration labs.

Andover Public Schools was named the No. 1 school district in the nation in the medium-size category (2,501 to 15,000 students) in the 2008 Digital School Districts Survey, presented by the Center for Digital Education and the National School Boards Association. The district tied with Virginia’s Henrico County Schools in this category.

Evans also serves as vice chair of the Kansas State Department of Education’s Virtual Education Advisory Council.