Our district technology plan is due for revision. In the past, we’ve written very specific goals related to technology skills for students. Now we’re also being asked to include goals and objectives for technology use in various content areas. What is the basis for this?

You may be aware of the NCLB requirement that all students must be technologically proficient by the end of grade 8, but there’s another deadline looming on the horizon. All state agencies applying for educational technology funds now must describe how school districts in their state will have fully integrated technology into curriculum and instruction by December 31, 2006. Each state agency is able to determine how it will meet this requirement, and often is choosing to do this by asking districts to include this information in the technology plans they submit.

Use this requirement as an opportunity to define technology integration in your district and to leverage not only educational technology funds, but also other federal funds that can be used to purchase technology when the tie-in to the curriculum is clearly defined.

Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young

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