While more than four in five ed-tech leaders surveyed said preparing for the Common Core standards and assessments is among their top three priorities, 29 percent said it was their No. 1 priority.
More than three-fourths of school IT professionals believe the Common Core will have a positive impact on their district, especially in the areas of improved student data analysis (81 percent) and new classroom technologies (79 percent).
While school IT leaders voiced support for the Common Core, they noted a number of concerns that could affect their ability to meet the standards’ ed-tech requirements. Lack of budget (76 percent) and lack of IT staff (69 percent) topped the list of challenges, but school IT leaders are also concerned about having enough technology for online student assessment (62 percent) and having enough classroom technology for instruction (60 percent).
Fifty-five percent of respondents also noted that they lacked a strong IT infrastructure or reliable wireless access—crucial elements of a strong ed-tech program.
“There is a great deal of excitement around the Common Core and the potential it holds for students and educators to measurably improve education,” said Julie Smith, vice president of K-12 education at CDW-G. “[But] our conversations with our customers—and the report’s findings—tell us that from an IT perspective, districts are still working hard so that they can support the Common Core with the appropriate technology and be ready for the 2014-15 online assessment mandate.”
See also:
How to prepare for Common Core testing—and why current teacher evaluation systems won’t help
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