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I have a little over 3 years of teaching experience specifically in elementary school. I began teaching right at the beginning of COVID so I like to think that I am pretty well versed on different technologies and platforms that can be used in both traditional and virtual teaching settings. I am passionate about learning and truly believe that learning is a lifelong process.

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Change theories provide structured frameworks to understand and manage change. They create clear steps to help leaders plan, execute, and sustain change. Change theories create effective communication and create buy-in from employees to ensure that change is effective.

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Micheal Fullen's Leadership in Change

Change occurs in 3 phases:

-Initiation-recognizes the need for change

-Implementation-focuses on putting change into action

-Institutionalization- make the change permanent

Roger Everett's Diffusion of Innovation

Explains how new ideas & technologies spread through cultures. Innovators: risk takers, Early Adaptors: embrace new ideas, Early Majority: adopt new innovations after evidence , Late Majority: skeptical individuals, Laggards: last to adopt innovation

Kurt Lewin's Change Model

Managing change occurs in 3 stages:

-Unfreeze: prepare for the change

-Change: implement the new change

-Refreeze: put change into action

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Key Theories Driving Educational Change-2

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School vision statements provide an inspiring and clear culture of what the school stands for and aspires to achieve. They provide a shared understanding and common language among all stakeholders. A school's mission statement on the other hand explain the school's current state and what they are doing to achieve their vision.

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Common Words for Vision & Mission Statements

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Common Words for Vision & Mission Statements

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1. Christian

2. Community

3. Safe

4. Excellence

5. Potential

6. Skills

7. Global

8. Prepare

9. Achieve

10. Life-long

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Writing a vision statement for your business can be challenging because it must define your company, values and future goals. While many established companies focus on their mission statement, a vision statement is a valuable tool for inspiring your team and forging a corporate identity.

We'll explore vision statements and their importance, as well as offer tools and best practices for crafting an inspiring vision statement that powers your growth strategy.

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement is a written declaration clarifying your business's meaning and purpose for stakeholders, especially employees. It describes the desired long-term results of your company's efforts. For example, an early Microsoft vision statement was "a computer on every desk and in every home."

"A company vision statement reveals, at the highest levels, what an organization most hopes to be and achieve in the long term," said Katie Trauth Taylor, owner and CEO of Untold Content, a writing consultancy. "It serves a somewhat lofty purpose - to harness all the company's foresight into one impactful statement."

A vision statement matters because it outlines the common goal of everyone in the company. Businesses that are working toward a higher aspiration are more appealing to current and future employees.

A vision statement can affect a company's long-term success, so take the time to craft one that synthesizes your ambition and mobilizes your staff.

What's the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement?

Mission statements are based in the present and convey to stakeholders and community members why a business exists and where it currently stands. Vision statements are future-based, and they are meant to inspire and give direction to employees.

"The vision is about your goals for the future and how you will get there, whereas the mission is about where you are now and why you exist," said Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global strategic marketing consulting firm. "The vision should motivate the team to make a difference and be part of something bigger than themselves."

Mission statements and vision statements are both crucial for building a brand. "While a mission statement focuses on the purpose of the brand, the vision statement looks to the fulfillment of that purpose," said Jessica Honard, co-CEO of North Star Messaging + Strategy, a copywriting and messaging firm that serves entrepreneurs.

Although mission and vision statements should be core elements of your organization, a vision statement should serve as your company's guiding light.

"A vision is aspiration; a mission is actionable," said Jamie Falkowski, chief creative officer at marketing and communications company Day One Agency.

Creating the perfect vision statement may seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Follow these suggestions and best practices when crafting your vision statement.

Determine who will shape your vision.

The first step in writing a vision statement is determining who will craft it. In a small business, you may be able to ask everyone for their insight. In a larger operation, you may need to be more selective while still capturing a range of employee voices.

Evaluate your company's published materials.

Your company likely already has published goals and established values in its employee handbook, marketing materials and other publications. Use this information to guide your work, suggested Alison Brehme, an author and content, marketing and media strategist.

"A company's mission, purpose, goals and values are all involved in the creation of a company vision," Brehme said. "Weave these concepts and beliefs into your vision statement."

Hold workshops to brainstorm your vision.

Brandon Shockley, former vice president of market research at branding and marketing firm 160over90 and now head of investor research and insights at Vanguard, recommended hosting workshops with key stakeholders representing a cross-section of your organization. Then, he said, assemble teams and use collaboration tools to create alternate versions of the statement, and gather employee feedback about how each version resonates.

Get individual input.

Falkowski also suggested conducting interviews with individual stakeholders to encourage honest feedback. Employees can identify common themes, describe the organization's future in words or use visual branding tools as a basis for the vision statement.

Check out competitors' vision statements.

Look at your competitors' vision statements to determine how you can differentiate your business from theirs. [Related article: How to Do a Competitive Analysis]

Keep it short but meaningful.

A vision statement should be concise - no longer than a sentence or two. You want your entire organization to be able to repeat it quickly and, more importantly, understand it. However, a vision statement must be more than a catchy tagline.

"[It] can be smart and memorable, but this is for your team and culture, not for selling a specific product," Falkowski said.

Create a longer version for leadership's eyes only.

Don't fret if you feel that a short vision statement doesn't fully express the intricacies of your vision. You can create a longer version, but it should not be the one you broadcast to the world.

"Let's be honest - most business leaders, not to mention boards of directors, won't be able to sum up their vision in a pithy sentence or two. That's OK," said Shannon DeJong, owner of brand agency House of Who. "Have a full-length version of your vision for the leadership's eyes only. Think of the long version as your reference guide to why you're in business in the first place."

Map out your business's biggest goals.

When you're crafting your vision statement, start by mapping out your business's most audacious goals, Taylor suggested. "Reviewing your long-term goals in a collaborative setting will help you then zoom out on what your organization and the world will look like if you achieve them. That zoomed-out view of your success is really the heart of your vision statement."

Consider your company's potential global impact.

Ask questions that reflect your business's eventual scale and impact, Honard advised. "Once you've answered these questions, you've created a roadmap between your present and your future."

These are a few of the questions Honard uses in guiding clients to identify their vision statement:

What ultimate impact do I want my brand to have on my community, my industry or the world?

In what way will my brand ultimately interact with customers and clients?

What will the culture of my business look like, and how will that play out in employees' lives?

Dream big.

Don't be afraid to dream big once you gather all the information and get down to writing. Don't worry about practicality for now; what initially looks impossible may be achieved down the road with the right team and technologies. Work on shaping a vision statement that reflects the specific nature of your business and its aspirations.

Be daring, not generic.

Shockley said there's nothing wrong with a vision statement that is daring, distinct or even disagreeable. "If a vision statement sets out a generic goal that anyone can agree with, it is likely to produce mediocre results. A goal like 'delivering an exceptional experience' applies equally to a hospital, bank or fitness club."

Consider creating a brand vision board.

If you're interested in taking your vision one step further, create a brand vision board, Taylor suggested. A vision board includes your company's tagline, a "who we are" statement, a "what we do" section, a business vision statement, an overview of your ideal clients, client pain points, your content mission statement, advertising, products and SEO keywords.

"A vision board serves as a one-page business plan that anyone in a company can reference quickly to remember the key concepts that drive the work," Taylor said.

Quick tips for your vision statement

Here's a quick breakdown of what to do when formalizing your vision statement:

Project five to 10 years into the future.

Dream big, and focus on success.

Use the present tense.

Use clear, concise, jargon-free language.

Infuse it with passion, and make it inspiring.

Align it with your business values and goals.

Create a plan to communicate your vision statement to your employees.

Prepare to commit time and resources to the vision you establish.

Your completed vision statement should offer a clear idea of your company's path forward. Honard said many of her clients have used their vision statements to direct their overall plans for the future. For example, they've adopted new marketing initiatives to move them closer to their vision, pivoted their focus to clearly reflect their desired outcome, or doubled down on one particular aspect of their brand that is working to serve their vision.

What to avoid when writing a vision statement

Don't mix up your mission statement and vision statement. Mission statements are generally easier to write because they reflect what you're doing now. Remember, a mission statement is what you are working to accomplish today, while a vision statement is what you want to accomplish in the future.

Don't overthink your wording. One of the hardest parts of creating a vision statement is coming up with the right wording. You may find yourself endlessly rewriting and fretting about getting it right. Does this sentence or two define your values and shine a light on your corporate identity without sounding too vague? Don't get lost in the pressure of perfect wording; a specific and unique vision statement is a good place to begin distinguishing your business from the rest of the industry.

How to use your vision statement

Determine where your vision statement will appear and what role it will serve in your organization. This will make the process more than an intellectual exercise, Shockley said. It's pointless to hang a vision statement in the lobby or promote it via your business's social media channels if you never genuinely integrate it into your company culture.

"The vision business statement should be thought of as part of your strategic plan," Shockley said. "It is an internal communications tool that helps align and inspire your team to reach the company's goals."

As such, you should view a vision statement as a living document that will be revisited and revised. Most importantly, it must speak directly to your employees.

"If your employees don't buy into the vision, you'll never be able to carry it out," said Keri Lindenmuth, director of marketing with the Kyle David Group, a web and tech solutions provider. "The vision statement should be something your employees believe in. Only then will they make decisions and take actions that reflect your business's vision."

20 examples of inspiring vision statements

Some memorable and distinct vision statements may be all the inspiration you need to write your own. Here are some of the best examples of inspiring vision statements:

1. Amazon: "Our vision is to be earth's most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online."

2. Ben & Jerry's: "Making the best ice cream in the nicest possible way."

3. Caterpillar: "Our vision is a world in which all people's basic needs - such as shelter, clean water, sanitation, food, and reliable power - are fulfilled in an environmentally sustainable way, and a company that improves the quality of the environment and the communities where we live and work."

4. Cradles to Crayons: "Provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive - at home, at school, and at play."

5. Google: "To provide access to the world's information in one click."

6. Habitat for Humanity: "A world where everyone has a decent place to live."

7. Hilton Hotels & Resorts: "To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality by delivering exceptional experiences - every hotel, every guest, every time."

8. IKEA: "To create a better everyday life for the many people."

9. Intel: "If it's smart and connected, it's best with Intel."

10. LinkedIn: "Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce."

11. Oxfam: "To be a self-organized people actively creating a just democratic and sustainable world where power and resources are shared, everyone lives in dignity, and poverty and inequality are no more."

12. Patagonia: "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis."

13. Prezi: "To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act."

14. Samsung: "Shape the future with innovation and intelligence."

15. Southwest Airlines: "To become the world's most loved, most flown and most profitable airline."

16. Sweetgreen: "To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food."

17. TED: "We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and, ultimately, the world."

18. Walgreens: "To be America's most-loved pharmacy-led health, well-being and beauty company."

19. Warby Parker: "We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun."

20. Wyeth: "Our vision is to lead the way to a healthier world."

Can vision statements change?

Many companies benefit from having a vision statement from their inception, but it's perfectly acceptable not to commit to one specific vision immediately.

"Getting too tied into one master statement can really mess with the learning and creation process in the early stages," said Sonia Elyss, president of marketing and communications collective Round Twelve. She encourages her clients to write a vision statement monthly, save the previous drafts, and see what sticks and what doesn't over time.

"After the first year, you can look back and see how much you have evolved," Elyss said. "What parts or words within the statement stuck around, and what was dropped? Those key words tend to end up being major brand pillars you can always come back to and eventually become part of the brand ethos."

Tying yourself to a particular vision statement in the early days of your business may limit your opportunities for growth or blind you to the need for change.

"At the end of the day, trust your gut; test and check; look at the analytics; invest in the feedback your customer is giving you," Elyss said. "If you aren't willing to step outside of your initial vision for your business, you might miss a huge opportunity!"

Regardless of how many years you have been in business or how long you have had your vision statement, you're not stuck with it. Don't be afraid to change it - even if you spent time and money developing it - if it stops feeling right.

The vision for your vision statement

A vision statement is a tool that can help your business grow and achieve brand success. Along the journey of growing your business, you'll face good months, rough months, and every detour and roadblock imaginable.

Above all, your vision statement should constantly remind you and your team of the end goal. This message is important to hold on to, especially on the most challenging days.
Bassam Kaado and Paula Fernandes contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

Business Ownership Insider and Senior Analyst

Sean Peek is the co-founder of a self-funded small business that employs more than a dozen team members. His years of hands-on entrepreneurial experience in bootstrapping, operations management, process automation and leadership have strengthened his knowledge of the B2B world and the most pressing issues facing business owners today. Peek uses his expertise to guide fellow small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in the areas of marketing, finance and software technology. Peek excels at developing customer bases and fostering long-term client relationships, using lean principles to drive efficiency and cost-saving, and identifying growth areas. He has demonstrated his business savvy through collaborations with Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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What Is a Vision Statement? Examples of How to Write One

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Vision statements can be challenging. Learn what a vision statement is, how it differs from a mission statement, and how to write a successful one.

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Setting goals ensures that the initiative's success and long-term viability. It makes the direction clear, and brings all parties involved together for a common goal. They provide a framework for action and process change into chunks.

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Change management includes the leadership-driven elements of large-scale change in an organization. It is indeed a significantly related component to industrial-organizational psychology. Change management is also closely related to many other disciplines as well, including:

information technology

business and industry

education

government agencies, and many more.

There are countless types of large-scale change that can be administered by upper management in this way. There are a number of more commonly seen types of change in today's business world.

The following represent some of the more commonly seen change management goals.

What is Change Management?

Before we can understand some of the primary goals of change management, we need to first have an understanding of what change management is.

Change management refers to a leadership-driven process of making large-scale changes in an organization. Change management is the structure by which organizational change takes place. People in leadership roles use various tools to help support employees in making positive changes in the way they do their jobs.

The key here is that this is a leadership-driven process. Everyone in an organization is unique. While the changes that each employee needs to make are also unique, those individual-based processes of change have to begin somewhere. That "somewhere" is:

Change management takes place on three different levels:

Change management on an individual level requires that employees are well-supported to make change. This means that managers need to understand how to support employees. They also understand:

what tools employees might need

how to encourage positive change

when to push for changes to be made, and so forth.

To help individuals achieve change and to help those changes last for the long-term, many organizations use the ADKAR Model. This is an acronym for the five individual outcomes needed for successful individual change:

In other words, for individual-level changes to occur, a person must:

Though it can be difficult to make changes, doing so using this framework will make those changes much easier to achieve.

At the organizational level, change management focuses on the bigger picture. That is, it outlines the steps needed to take at the organizational level that supports each of the individuals involved.

Here's an example...

Let's say that the management team of a business identifies specific changes that need to be made. Let's also say that they identify people in the organization that will be impacted as a result of the necessary changes.

To help facilitate change, the management team might create a change plan that:

outlines how employees will be informed of the change

how employees will be supported

lists any tools or training that will be offered

outline how transitions from the old way of doing things to the new way of doing things will be handled.

And then we have the enterprise level of change.

When speaking of enterprise level change, we're referring to an organization's commitment to pursuing change to continue to grow. To ensure that an organization keeps moving forward and improving, this commitment to change should be part of the foundation of the business.

For example, he organizational structure should all have a pursuit of growth and change embedded in them, including:

the organization's mission statement

the manner in which the organization is structured

the roles and responsibilities of employees and managers

other features of the organizational structure

By doing so, individuals and teams in the organization have a built-in commitment to not only accepting change, but pursuing it and thriving on it.

Of course, the overarching goal of all this is to simply be open to change. That's a very broad definition, but it holds true.

Change Management Guidelines

Paired with the three levels of change management is the notion that change management is guided by a certain set of principles. Though the precise principles that guide change might be different from one organization to the next, we can identify a few common guidelines that drive this process:

Understanding change

Planning for change

Implementing change

Communicating change

Obviously, the process begins with actually understanding why change is needed and beneficial. To do so, an organization's leaders might consider things like:

Note that developing this understanding of change is:

quite introspective

forward-looking

not focusing on what might go wrong

Next, it's necessary for organizations to plan the process of change.

Making wholesale changes at the organizational level isn't as simple as committing oneself to change. Instead, there is the need for a lengthy and detailed planning phase during which the process of implementing changes is thoroughly vetted and managed.

Another part of the change planning process is to ensure that stakeholders buy into the changes that are proposed. After all, change can't happen without the buy-in of people who will be impacted by the changes.

During the implementation stage, those in charge of making changes have to consider things like:

So the implementation stage isn't just about rolling out changes. Instead, it's a process during which many different levels of questioning must occur. Again, if you can't onboard the people who are impacted by change, change management becomes that much more difficult.

Finally, communicating change is critical to change management. This is the component that allows you to tie the proposed changes into the vision for the organization's future. As noted earlier, tying change to an organization's mission statement or goals helps stakeholders understand how and why change is relevant and important.

Of course, communicating about change requires that you be very clear, too. Enemies of change are misunderstandings and lingering questions. The more clear you can articulate the need for change and the outcomes it will bring, the better.

Common Change Management Goals

Now that we have a better understanding of what change management is and the guidelines that help direct it, we can discuss some of the common goals of this process.

Bear in mind that the following is not a complete list. However, it offers insight into change management goals that can be applied in virtually any organization.

Build a Culture of Innovation

Deficiencies in culture and overall workforce attitudes can hold back nearly any other change management goal a company may envision. As such, the goal to build an innovative and more conducive company culture is a very common one.

While this goal may sound straightforward, in reality, it can actually prove to be a very complex one to achieve. Important elements of this kind of change can include:

updated incentives and punishment systems

changes in hiring techniques

new forms of internal communications

Likewise, organizations might adjust meeting methods, update employee uniforms and other gear, and develop new employee training programs.

These activities might seem as though they have little in common. The tie that binds is the focus on the future and of establishing support for innovation in every nook and cranny of an organization.

Change and Update Best Practices

"Best practices" is the term used to define a company's established best and recommended way of performing some particular activity. There can be a best practice for nearly any act, and in many cases, they are actually required protocol.

While best practices guide employees in how to perform tasks, this very quality and power make them a prime target for change as upper leadership sees fit. Change here can promote great benefits. Too much and/or too regular changes can also create their own problems.

With that in mind, it might be best to consider this as a long-term goal, one that is revisited less frequently than others on this list. For example, the employee handbook outlines the proper procedure for reporting a problem to management. But that procedure is constantly changed and updated. It would be easy for employees to not understand what the update protocol calls for. This, in turn, would lead to confusion and frustration. Ultimately, employees might not bring issues to the attention of management.

So, changing and updating best practice policies is a smart idea as part of an organization's change management process. But it shouldn't be done too frequently.

Establish Milestones and Incentive Programs

Incentives can be the ultimate driving force in performance. In order to encourage a workforce to do its very best, it must be properly driven with smart incentives.

Here, yet another quite common change management goal is in updating the way employees are rewarded for their efforts. For example, a creative way to incentivize is setting up a milestone system. Employees who then reach certain milestones or who are a part of greater, more complex milestones coming to fruition, are then recognized and rewarded. This sets an example for others to follow.

Change Training Practices

Training practices are another critical area of business that is certainly susceptible to change when circumstances are appropriate.

Training sets the scene for what employees know and can accomplish. It sets the tone for expectations - both on their part and on the part of management for the behavior and performance of their employees.

For example, if employee outputs are not on par for what is needed in the organization, it is very likely that this area will become the focus of some change management efforts. This might be updating employee intake and training procedures to ensure that new hires are aware of the organization's goals.

As was discussed in the communication guidelines, if you don't clearly articulate what is needed or expected, it's hard for people to meet your expectations. Changing training practices will help maximize the chances that employees have to meet and exceed an organization's expectations.

Shift of Targeted Customer Base

The customer base is also of great importance to any successful business. Targeting the correct group for products and services is paramount, whether that be:

a particular age group,

sex

culture

physical size

personal attitude or philosophy

any other characteristic

But, sometimes, in the course of evaluating the need for change, an organization might discover that they have been targeting the wrong customers. Instead of focusing advertising on moms in their 30s, a women's wear and children's wear company might find that a better target market is women in their 20s.

The point is that change management, though much of it can be internal to an organization, can also have external changes in how the company or organization "meets" its clientele. But whether change happens internally, externally, or both, the ultimate goal is still to move the company forward in a positive direction.

Change Management is Tough, But Worth It

Although this article is a fairly streamlined description of change management processes, it's a highly complex process that involves many different people at different levels in an organization.

Change can take years to accomplish and will require thousands of hours of work to implement and maintain. But, the rewards that an organization can reap are certainly worth the output of:

In conclusion, the leadership-driven management of big change is an important aspect of any business. As described by Forbes expert contributor Glenn Llopis, such ability to change and adapt is important, but it also requires that "leadership - across all levels - must have absolute clarity in purpose and focus."

While there is certainly greater depth to this subject, these are the basics of change management, an important component to industrial-organizational psychology as well as many other progressive business disciplines today.

Sean Jackson
B.A. Social Studies Education | University of Wyoming M.S. Counseling | University of Wyoming B.S. Information Technology | University of Massachusetts Related Resources:

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5 Common Change Management Goals - Organizational Psychology Degrees

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While there is certainly greater depth to this subject, these are the basics of change management, an important component to industrial-organizational psychology as well as many other progressive business disciplines today.

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When implementing change, especially in a school, a needs analysis is crucial as it pinpoints the areas that need improvement. It ensures that the change initiative solves the most urgent problems by identifying gaps in the current condition.

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A school's technology committee exists to direct and supervise the successful incorporation of technology into the learning environment. This committee is in charge of creating and putting into practice technology strategies that support the objectives of the school, making sure that resources and technologies are used to improve administrative, instructional, and learning processes. The technology committee also ensures that the school's technological infrastructure is current, safe, and easily accessible in addition to evaluating and recommending new technologies and offering staff professional development and support.

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Committee Proposal Example (Visual Aide)

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Committee Proposal Example (Visual Aide)

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Creating an Effective Technology Committee

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Creating an Effective Technology Committee

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I have been ask about a post I did awhile back "What Makes an Effective Technology Committee in Education " as much as any I have ever done. Getting the chance write for Wes a little this week seemed a good time to come back to this topic. I have always meant to do a edit /update, but until now just haven't made it that far down my list. One of the most common responses I get about engaging as many people in your institution in the technology planning process as possible is something along this line, "Well this is nice but I have found it better to ask forgiveness than permission" I interpret that many times as I don't want to I have work that hard, because as all of us know working with people is the hardest part of working with technology. I am sure some one will be offended by the assertion they have not worked as hard as they should have, but as rewarding as it can be to work successfully with others , there is no way around it being very hard work bringing people together to work toward a shared objective. Again I have a confession. I have invoked this "forgiveness vs. permission" line on occasion as well, but my observation over the long haul in planning for the successful implementation of technology in the enterprise is the more transparent you can be over time the more you will have gained credibility as a team player and the more successful you will be even if you want to try/implement cutting edge solutions. The trust you gain working through your formal processes is invaluable in the long haul. I have made a few changes to the original version but hopefully this helps you out in some small way.
This is adapted from the original post on KentBrooks.com
Working as chair of the technology committee at Casper College makes my third go around as the chair of the technology committee at an institution of higher education. Working in the chair capacity and with technology committees at other institutions (K12 & higher ed) in the role of a observer/consultant I have seen large committee and small committees operate at differing levels of effectiveness. My experience in working effectively with a school/campus technology committee is it can be a positive experience and technology projects which have been most successful, are those which have been endorsed and driven by an institutional Technology Committee. I also believe the general ideas and concepts are effective at all levels of education if utilized. IT directors(again at all levels) usually describe the transition of major enterprise systems in not so flattering terms. However, it is possible to make this a relatively pleasant experience. My favorite example of this was the successfully transition from WebCT to Moodle(a major enterprise system) at my previous intuition. This was in large part because of a really engaged technology committee participating in all phases of the process : brainstorming, research, evaluation, testing, piloting, training, conversion, and most importantly communicating with each other and the larger campus community. There is not just one standardized formula for making a technology committee successful. There are simply too many personalities, expectations, technology "crises" and other issues to state that this model or that model will work in a given situation. Flexibility and a willingness to work are the key factors for membership on a given technology committee. A few things to keep in mind:

1. All ideas are good. There are no stupid questions.

2. It's easy to be conservative and stay years behind the technology curve

3. Watch each others technological back. Lean on each other for consolidation of knowledge about information technologies There is simply too much out there for any one person to be able to filter.

4. Technology is often one of the largest expenditures at a college and seems to be one of the least controllable costs for an institution.

5. Technology suffers from "acronyminitis" explain acronyms when possible

6. Technology often becomes one of the least understandable issues on campus

7. Technology is a mission critical component at every level of the institution. Everyone is almost totally dependent on computers. So technology is a management issue. Technical considerations should yield to management goals and expectations.

8. There is infinitely more technology available than the IT department has time or resources to make available to the institution. As such, there always seems to be an extensive backlog of projects.

9. The "consumerization of technologies make the previous issue even more challenging with an ever swelling array of tools and concepts to filter through.

There are a lot of benefits to a smoothly running committee. For the CTO/ IT director, and the institutional administrators, the committee is a useful way to help channel the many demands for IT products and resources. A well run technology committee is an effective liaison between the user community and the IT department. The technology committee can explain and define the user community's requirements to the IT staff. A good technology committee understands the role of the IT staff and can effectively explain IT potentials and issues to the institution. Finally the technology committee can see to it that the IT department receives the credit it deserves for a job well done.

There are a number of possible functions of a technology committee. Among them are to:

1. Review and endorse strategic technology strategic plans.

2. Advise as to the appropriateness of the technology plan to the overall campus strategic plan

3. Provide input on utilization of institutional financial resourcesfor technology.

4. Work with the IT management to establish institutional priorities and update the strategic plan regularly.

5. Review and endorse technology annual budgets.

6. Develop, review and approve technology policies (not procedures).

7. Review and endorse major technology projects/initiatives

8. Provide input on business requirements for technology initiatives (let the IT staff find products to meet those requirements).

9. Review and approve major technology decisions (e.g., the selection of a new adminstrative/ERP system).

10. Review and approve plans for major technology projects.

11. Have oversight responsibility for the user-related aspects of major technology projects - including user involvement in requirements, roll-out planning, acceptance testing and service level agreements.

12. Set priorities and adjust as necessary (always considering opportunity costs on time, staff and money).

13. Be informed of the status on major projects and major project changes.

14. Communicate technology issues they should be addressed to IT management and administration. the management of the institution (problems that they are aware of, issues that they believe should be addressed).

15. Support technology management with administration.

Note that all of these responsibilities assume that the committee will work at a reasonably high level. The committee exists to represent the end-user community on campus. So a good technology committee limits itself to defining and prioritizing IT requirements (for products and services), setting IT related policies, and providing general oversight for the technology functions in the institution.

The technology committee does not directly manage the IT department. The effective technology committee does not engage in a lot of "day-to-day" activities. Among the activities which the technology committee should avoid are:

1. Setting technology procedures. The committee sets policies. They do not define the procedures to implement policies.
2. Making specific hardware decisions(input is reasonable). Extended discussions on specific PC brands and features are a sure sign that the committee needs to rethink its role.
3. Reviewing technology staffing decisions (except the lead position). Leave it up to the IT director to run the department.
4. Managing the specifics of technology projects.
5. Approving purchases for previously budgeted items.
6. Acting as the Help Desk. They should not involve themselves in "day-to-day" IT questions and problems.
7. The technology committee is not the first level escalation path for IT problems. This should be left to the IT department.

The composition of the technology committee should not necessarily be filled with "uber" geeks, should not assume that younger employees, since they use computers all the time must somehow magically know how to deal with tech issues and must not be fill with members who are the biggest complainers as a way to appease them with a thought process which says since they are included they can at least be heard and if not then its their own fault. All of these strategies are almost sure to lead to failure. They indicate a failure to properly understand the role of the committee. Consider some of the attributes of the successful committee members:

1. They put student learning and success above all else in technology recommendations

2. They understand the role of technology in the strategic direction of the institution. This implies that they have some understanding of the institution's strategic plan. This, in turn implies that there is a strong link between the technology committee and the institution's management committee. Good practice suggests that at least one member of the technology committee also serve on the institution's highest executive committee/council.

3. They appreciate the use of technology in the institution; they likely use the technology themselves; but they are not necessarily the interested in having "the most" or "the latest and greatest" or "the first."

4. They represent and can speak for the interests of the end-user community - administration, faculty, staff and students. This implies that they have some engagement and /or tenure with the institution and are well respected by others in the end-user community.

5. They have enough vision to appreciate how technology may help the institution achieve its strategic goals. On the other hand, they are not "technological visionaries" - they understand that technology only works within the cultural confines set by the institution. They know that simply adding new technology for the sake of adding technology does not result in worthwhile change.

There are a lot of advantages to having the membership consist of those with similar backgrounds and management interests. However, the defining mark for technology and its use in any institution is set by the students. Their needs must be met first.

Few faculty understand or appreciate technology from the perspective of the secretaries. Few administrators understand or appreciate technology from the perspective of the IT staff. Few IT staff understand or appreciate technology from the perspective of the the physical plant. Few college employees understand or appreciate technology from the perspective of the student. The higher education technology committee must have connections to the entire institution. Technology committees come in various sizes. But every group, no matter how large, must have champions who will represent the needs of their particular area.
Committee Challenges:

1. The biggest challenge for a committee is to not give themselves off target affirmation that they have done their job well if they do not add value to the strategic plans mission and vision of the institution.

2. To communicate with those who do not have the enthusiasm we may have for all things technical. Geek talk and Acronyms must be translated so the end user can benefit from our efforts.

3. Embrace the power of consumer oriented tools when appropriate (blog, Twitter etc)

1. Using technology to stabilize costs, increase revenue and stop rising tuition

2. That which we always thought is stable...may not be.

1. The Human Side: Working with people to develop a shared vision, being an effective communicator, marketer internally, relationship manager, developer of human capitol, partnership builder

2. To accept failure...but fail quickly and cheaply as possible and move on.

3. Hiring nice, smart adaptable, non-risk adverse people

4. Cloud computing enables end users to gain access to tools and technologies which allows end users to solve their own IT issues.

5. To not over "Technify" technical solutions as well as solutions that don't need technology

6. Aligning IT goals with Presidential and Institutional Goals ( recent literature indicates they more often they do not match, I am sure there is not that much difference between IT leaders and superintendents mis aligned perceptions. See below)

Educause 2011 Top IT List
(IT Leader Perspective on What IT Issues are most important)

Inside Higher Ed 2011
(Presidential Perspective on the Effectiveness of Campus Investments in IT)

1. Funding IT
2. Administrative/ERP/Information Systems
3. Teaching and Learning with Technology
4. Security
5. Mobile Technologies
6. Agility/ Adaptability/Responsiveness
7. Governance, Portfolio/Project
Management
8. Infrastructure/Cyber infrastructure
9. Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity
10. Strategic Planning

1. Online/ Distance Ed Courses & Programs
2. On-campus teaching and instruction
3. Library resources and services
4. Administrative Info Systems & Operations
5. Data Analysis and Managerial Analytics
6. Academic Support Services
7. Student Resources and Services
8. Student Recruitment
9. Research and Scholarship & Development efforts
10. Alumni activities / Engagement

The group should meet regularly-at least monthly and sometimes more often on projects which will have a major impact on the institution. A formal (regular) agenda should be set for each meeting. Notes should be kept, action items formulated and reported on at subsequent meetings. The IT committee chair should have responsibility for organizing the meetings and for follow-up as required.

Finally, it takes time for a good technology committee to learn to work together. It takes a long time to learn enough about technology and its application in the law institution. Since technology cuts across every area of the institution, technology committee members must be allowed the time to learn about the issues and concerns in every area of the institution (including the administrative areas). Don't expect results overnight. Practice and patience will bring rewards.
Kent Brooks is the IT Director at Casper College in Casper Wyoming. You can find out more about his thoughts on educational technology, open source and disruptions in education caused by technology use at KentBrooks.com or follow him on Twitter @kentbrooks He previously served as the Chief Technology Officer/ Dean of Distance Learning at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus Oklahoma for 15 years. While at Western he led an effort to transform a struggling rural institution to a significant distance learning provider(24 online students in 1999 to over 5000 in 2010). He was an instructor, department chair and computer coordinator at the University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus prior to coming to Altus. While in New Mexico he was actively involved in the Los Alamos National Laboratory EDUNET program which sought to bring telecommunications technologies to the four corners area of the US. Kent has been heavily involved in numerous teacher-training projects and efforts to bring networking and telecommunications technologies to rural areas. His grant writing efforts have brought over $50 million dollars to equip rural schools, tribal complexes and museums across the US with distance learning technologies. Kent's work interests include the acquisition of technology and training resources for rural under served communities. More specifically his work interest and focus is on the "open" or "free" software movement and its impact on delivery of technological services in education. Background Reading
Anderson, Larry, and John Perry. "Technology Planning: Recipe for Success." National Center for Technology Planning. National Center for Technology Planning,Mississippi State University, Mar. 1994. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://www.nctp.com/tp.recipe.html%3E">http://www.nctp.com/tp.recipe.html>;.

Brooks, Kent. "A Great Big Pile of Perspective and The Current Challenges Facing IT in the Educational Environment Part 1 - Kentbrooks." Kentbrooks - I Was Just Thinking. KentBrooks.com, 22 June 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://kentbrooks.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-great-big-pile-of%3E">http://kentbrooks.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-great-big-pile-of>;.

Green, Kenneth. "Presidents Confront Technology | Inside Higher Ed." Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Career Advice, Events and Jobs. 04 Mar. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/digital_tweed/presidents_confront_technology%3E">http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/digital_tweed/presidents_confro...;.

Ingerman, Bret, and Catherine Yang. "Top-Ten IT Issues, 2010." EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 45, No. 3 (May/June 2010): 46-60. Educause, May 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. a href="http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume45/TopTenITIssues2010/205503%3E">http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolum...;.

Koester, Jolene. "Information Technology and Tomorrow's University." Http://net.educause.edu/. Educause, Jan. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM1111.pdf%3E">http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM1111.pdf>;.

Lederman, Doug. "Perspectives on the Downturn: A Survey of Presidents | Inside Higher Ed." Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Career Advice, Events and Jobs. Inside, 04 Mar. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/survey/perspectives-downturn-survey-presidents%3E">http://www.insidehighered.com/news/survey/perspectives-downturn-sur...;.

Reilly, Rob. "The Technology Committee: Building a Foundation for Assessment." Information Today, Inc. The Net Works. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://www.infotoday.com/mmschools/mar02/reilly.htm%3E">http://www.infotoday.com/mmschools/mar02/reilly.htm>;.

Wiley, Sandra L. "Building a Successful Technology Team." MACPA - Maryland Association of CPAs | For the Maryland CPA. Maryland Association of CPA's. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://www.macpa.org/Content/22021.aspx%3E">http://www.macpa.org/Content/22021.aspx>;.

"Technology Planning in Transition." Criu.org. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. a href="http://csriu.org/onlinedocs/pdf/techplanning.pdf%3E">http://csriu.org/onlinedocs/pdf/techplanning.pdf>;.

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What Makes an Effective Technology Committee in Education (v.2)

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I have been ask about a post I did awhile back "What Makes an Effective Technology Committee in Education " as much as any I have ever done. Getting the chance write for Wes a little this week seemed a good time to come back to this topic.

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The one constant in life is change, especially in the business world. Market fluctuations, budget constraints, and growth are only some of the changes that can significantly impact the way your organization runs.

Separating a flourishing business from an underachieving one is the ability to adapt to change.

What is a change management plan?

A change management plan is a process a business follows to implement changes across the organization. Change management plans are typically used for significant or complex organizational changes that require a more strategic approach because of their impact on someone's job.

We all react differently to change. Some of us are eager to engage with the new processes, while others will be reluctant. Some of your team may love the changes; others may not be so excited. One group will take to the changes immediately, but others may not want to change at all. No matter their mindset, a change management plan should provide the complete roadmap and tools to successfully support your employees as they transition to the new way of doing things.

What should my change management plan include?

Your plan will differ based on your organization's needs, but each change management plan should include some form of the following:

Well-defined goals

The goals of your change management plan should be simple:

1. Tell your organization about the change.

2. Help those who are directly affected by the change to adapt.

Your organization might completely change its marketing approach to increase engagement, for example, or it may start an entirely new department to handle expanded business offerings. Each of these changes come with their own set of goals. Whatever those goals may be, the core goals of your change management plan should be to inform everyone about the changes and to guide those who will be directly affected by them.

Clear communication

Communication is key in any interaction, but especially when it comes to organizational change. Change often includes multiple moving parts that must be clearly communicated so no one gets left in the dark.

In addition to establishing goals and expectations, your communication should allow space for feedback from your team to respond to and offer suggestions about the changes. Not all of this feedback may be positive but knowing how your team feels about the transition and allowing them to feel heard are vital to addressing and calming their concerns.

Training

An organizational change significant enough to warrant a change management plan probably includes new features or procedures that your employees will need to learn. Meetings and training sessions are great opportunities for your team to get hands-on experience with the changes and ask questions in a safe environment where everyone learns together.

A handful of meetings may not be enough for everyone to grasp the scope of the changes. Provide helpful reference sheets, such as FAQ documents, that your team can access if they have simple questions that can be answered without a call or meeting.

Developing your change management plan

Change can be daunting, but a strategic plan will ease some of that tension. Follow these six steps for developing your change management plan.

Step 1: Build your team

Rome wasn't built in a day, nor was it built by a single person. Great initiatives require great teamwork, so building your team should be a top priority.

A change management team should be comprised of people from all levels of the organization who can dedicate time to the cause. When implementing change, people in leadership roles will have a different perspective than those in entry-level positions, but both voices should be heard.

Representatives from each department can bring their colleague's thoughts, suggestions, or concerns to the group and ensure that decisions will positively influence their work.

Step 2: Set goals

When establishing achievable goals, consider the end of your transition phase and how you want the organization to look once the changes are complete.

Understand how these changes are going to impact your team, the business, clients, and customers. Will customers need to change the way they purchase from you? Should clients be informed of procedure changes? How does a new piece of technology affect workflows? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you develop goals to satisfy as many people as possible.

Every goal should be reinforced with a measurable key performance indicator (KPI) you can reference to ensure the changes resulted in the desired outcome.

Step 3: Create a plan

With a team assembled and goals set, you're ready to put together your change management plan.

A checklist of actionable tasks will keep your team on track and is easy to reference when determining the next steps. Include every item your team has brainstormed and offer opportunities for staff to give their feedback on your change management plan. Remember, clear communication is critical in this process.

When your checklist is complete, put together a timeline for achieving each of the tasks. Consider the scope of your project and what date you want to complete the transition. Set expectations within your organization by establishing specific due dates for each task and ensuring that those deadlines are met.

Because change management involves many moving parts, a project management tool may be useful to keep your plan organized in one place.

Step 4: Do the work

Now that you've assembled a team, crafted a checklist, and established deadlines, it's time to do the work.

Determine how you'll decide things in the future. Changes to your change management plan are inevitable. Figure out how to address these surprises early so they won't bog down your transition when the work picks up.

Build excitement for the change across your organization with clear, positive, and insightful communication before, during, and after the transition. Share exciting wins with leadership, encourage staff to experiment with new software, for example, and contribute their own tips and tricks. Consider offering rewards to the department that first takes up the changes.

Step 5: Support the change

The changes have been implemented, but the dust will take a bit more time to settle fully. Reinforcing the transition to ensure the changes last is crucial during this time.

Keep up the clear communication while things are still being worked out. Reiterate the positive impacts the organization has seen so far and offer to speak with anyone who has questions or concerns. Address issues early and they won't have time to spiral into more significant problems.

As the change management planner, you may not know all the fine details of the implemented changes. Subject matter experts are great resources for answering those complex questions that require a deeper understanding of the topic.

Step 6: Expect resistance

Some of us have a hard time changing the way we typically do things. It's all but guaranteed that someone in your organization will resist the changes you try to make. How you react to this resistance will determine how well your staff responds to the transition. Develop a resistance plan to address this issue early in case it arises.

A large portion of change management is crafting new processes, but an even more significant portion is people. It can be easy to forget the human aspect of major changes when you're concerned about the minutia of implementing the change. Organizational change is difficult, but a thoughtful change management plan that prioritizes your people can make this difficult task a fun and engaging project.

Learn more about our Industrial and Organizational Psychology programs

Are you interested in learning more about The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's I/O Psychology programs? Fill out the form below to request more information, visit the program page, or you can apply today through our application portal.

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Developing a Change Management Plan | The Chicago School

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The one constant in life is change, especially in the business world. Market fluctuations, budget constraints, and growth are only some of the changes that can significantly impact the way your organization runs. Separating a flourishing business from an underachieving one is the ability to adapt to change.

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Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

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For schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI), districts are required to work with school teams to conduct a school-level needs assessment. State educational agencies (SEAs) and districts are also required to complete a needs assessment for several other major program areas included in the the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (link is external) (e.g., Title I Part A; Title IV Part F) (for more information on these requirements, please see the the Needs Assessment Guidebook from the State Support Network, available here). Needs assessments encourage districts and their schools to systematically examine performance gaps and identify, understand, and prioritize the needs that must be addressed to improve outcomes for all students. Conducting a needs assessment can also help district and school staff understand how the various components of their local educational system interact. Specifically, the needs assessment process helps districts to:

1. find gaps between current conditions (what is) and desired conditions (what should be);

2. place these gaps or needs in priority order;

3. implement strategies, practices, and evidence-based interventions aligned to needs; and

4. target resources to address needs.

SEAs and districts are required to engage in timely and meaningful discussion with stakeholders during the needs assessment process, specifically principals and other school leaders, teachers, and parents; in addition, it is highly recommended that SEAs and districts engage with a wide range of other stakeholders appropriate to the local context, such as business or community leaders. A key element of a successful needs assessment is a root-cause analysis following the initial needs assessment process by examining relevant data to understand the most pressing needs of students, schools, and educators and the possible root causes of those needs. Data on students (e.g., assessment results, graduation rates), schools (e.g., resources, climate), and educators (e.g., effectiveness, retention rates) can also provide insight into local needs. Districts should consider the following when conducting a needs assessment:

In addition to the required stakeholders, which other stakeholders are needed to identify local needs?

What data are required to best understand local needs?

How do student outcomes align to identified performance goals?

What are the potential root causes of inequities or performance gaps?

How should needs be prioritized when several are identified?

Common Challenges and Potential Risks

Districts and schools can face challenges when conducting and using needs assessment processes effectively as part of school improvement plan development, typically stemming from limited staff capacity. The Needs Assessment Guidebook from the State Support Network describes the following common challenges districts and schools face when conducting and using a needs assessment as part of school improvement plan development:

Districts and schools may have limited expertise and capacity, including trained staff, to conduct needs assessments and use the results to develop meaningful school improvement plans.

Districts and schools may struggle to take an objective and open-ended review of needs without predetermining solutions, and may tend to continue existing programs without reexamining needs of current students.

Districts and schools may start by examining summary results from standardized tests and other state accountability measures but may be unsure of what other data and systems to review as part of a needs assessment process and root cause analysis.

Districts and schools may struggle to effectively engage school leadership teams and other stakeholder groups in the needs assessment and improvement planning process, often due to timeline constraints and capacity to effectively incorporate feedback from diverse groups.

Strategies to Support a Successful Needs Assessment

There are a variety of strategies that SEAs can use to help districts conduct meaningful and insightful school-level needs assessments and subsequently develop effective school improvement plans.

Provide guidance, training, and support to districts and schools around conducting a school-level needs assessment. This might include examples of data to examine or examples of completed school-level needs assessment summaries.

Support districts and schools as they gather feedback and input from a variety of stakeholders, colleagues, and experts to elicit new ideas and insights about the needs of students. SEAs may be able to help support this process.

Establish an organizing framework that defines the problems, topics, and questions to be addressed in the needs assessment.

Fund and facilitate (directly or through partner organizations) an on-site school quality review process that provides robust, qualitative data and expert, third-party insights on school strengths, challenges, and priorities for school improvement.

Require or support districts to conduct a needs assessment to analyze trends across Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools and evaluate local practices and systems that are hindering (or supporting) school improvement.

Pilot new protocols and tools with a small group of districts to test implementation of the needs assessment process to gather feedback and fine-tune the process to serve both state and local needs.

State Examples

Examples of state approaches to needs assessment

Delware

For schools that do not exit CSI status within four years, the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) will work collaboratively with the district and school to identify an external partner to conduct qualitative needs assessments (in addition to the initial needs assessment) at both the school and district levels. This needs assessment will consider previous school improvement efforts and current school conditions. It will also include an assessment of the leadership capacity at the school and district level. The external partner will give an objective assessment of the school from a new perspective. The qualitative needs assessments conducted by external partners are just one component of the required comprehensive needs assessment, which also includes quantitative data analysis, school profile data, educator equity data, financial risk assessments, program analyses, community input, and additional district data. The DDOE will work with external partners to develop local, effective, and cost-efficient external evaluators. The DDOE will also work collaboratively with the district and schools to examine the findings of the needs assessment and support the development of an updated and actionable improvement plan. Additional data analyses will be used to identify which of the previous interventions should or should not be continued and to determine if other evidence-based strategies are needed.

Source: U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Delaware State Plan. State ESSA Plan Approved October 31, 2018. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplan17/map/de.html

Illinois

Through IL-EMPOWER, schools will be able to select a Provider Partner from a pre-approved list that will help them access school improvement services for the area of need based on evidence. CSI schools will be required to participate in IL-EMPOWER, though it will be open to all schools. Schools participating in IL-EMPOWER will be required to:

Conduct a needs assessment to establish opportunities for growth and set objectives in one or more of the following areas: Governance and Management, Curriculum and Instruction, and Climate and Culture.

Work with a pre-approved Provider Partner to select an additional Provider Partner that will best help the school community in accordance with the needs assessment.

Work with their selected Provider Partner(s) to develop an improvement plan and objectives.

By allowing CSI schools to choose their Provider Partner, IL-EMPOWER gives lower performing schools more flexibility to choose evidence-based improvement strategies that best suit their local needs (rather than following a more prescriptive process).

Source: Illinois State Board of Education (n.d.). Support and Accountability: IL-Empower [website]. State ESSA Plan Approved August 30, 2017. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplan17/map/il.html

Additional Resources

Every Student Succeeds Act: Guiding LEA Needs Assessments and Plan Development to Consider Early Learning (link is external) This resource from the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center provides guidance to SEAs in framing and planning for district needs assessments. It provides actions that SEAs can take to support districts and their needs assessments as well as how to shape district needs assessments through guiding questions and data elements.

Needs Assessment Guidebook: Supporting the Development of District and School Needs Assessments This resource from the State Support Network describes the elements and implementation phases of an effective needs assessment process. The guidebook

reviews some of the major school-improvement-related needs assessment requirements found in ESEA;

introduces the elements of a successful needs assessment;

presents a practical approach to addressing those elements across the phases of needs assessment implementation;

describes supports that states can provide to districts, and districts to schools, in the implementation of effective needs assessments; and

discusses the role of needs assessments within a continuous improvement process.

Needs Assessments Survey Options (link is external) This resource from the Cross State High School Collaborative outlines eleven different surveys that SEAs (and their districts and schools) might consider including in their needs assessments. The resource describes how each survey is used, what it measures, the necessary logistics, and points of contact to learn more.

Root-Cause Analysis Workbook (link is external) This resource from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders offers eight steps states can take for conducting a root cause analysis in way that addresses equity gaps. It also offers additional resources and tools to help states move toward equity.

Using Needs Assessments for School and District Improvement (link is external) This tactical guide from the Center of School Turnaround describes the core components for developing and administering needs assessments for improvement. The guide includes information on ESEA requirements, tips on planning and designing a needs assessment, descriptions of how a needs assessment is part of the improvement process, and key decision points. Worksheets are included to aid users in designing and developing needs assessments for schools or districts.
Click here to return to the School Improvement Tool home page

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School Improvement: Needs Assessment - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Plans That Work: Tools for Supporting School Improvement Planning For schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI), districts are required to work with school teams to conduct a school-level needs assessment. State educational agencies (SEAs) and districts are also required to complete a needs assessment for several other major program areas included in the [...]

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Why, When, & How to Conduct a Needs Assessment

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Why, When, & How to Conduct a Needs Assessment

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Why, When, and How to Conduct Needs Assessments

In this post, we will address the reasons for conducting needs assessments for any college access program. We'll look at this from several angles to explain why, when, and how should needs assessments be done. First, let's define what we consider a needs assessment.
Definition: a needs assessment is a process of identifying gaps between the current condition and what is expected to be achieved.
For example, GEAR UP is aimed at increasing high school graduation and college-going rates, so we would want to know what the current rates are and what target rates we expect to achieve after implementing the program

In other words, we want to know what problems exist at a school or district level that our program will address to improve the situation.

Why

An educational equity program can only be successful when its goals are clearly outlined, objectives are specified, and the benchmarks are set to guide the staff throughout the program implementation. To identify the areas that need the most attention to achieve the final goals and objectives, programs should conduct needs assessments.

When

A needs assessment is not an evaluation as it is conducted before the start of a program to guide and plan its activities. Thus, there are different types of needs assessments depending on the timeline of a program.

How

To address the needs section of a GEAR UP or TRIO program proposal, we research all existing data sources, specifically school district websites, district and school-level reports, climate surveys, and available data collections of the local benchmarks and indicators.

In our example with a district-wide GEAR UP grant, we look for persistence rates, graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment rates over three years to detect the trends in the district overall and the target schools and compare those to the state and/or national data. After revealing the general trends, we look at the demographic composition of the students to see if there are any differences to address. The more detailed data is analyzed the better it will look in the proposal.

Before unfolding the program, additional needs assessments can help identify the areas that need the most emphasis for successful program implementation. For example, when starting a new GEAR UP grant in a large urban school district, we can conduct needs assessments in all schools involved in the program.

The assessments can be done in the form of focus group interviews with the building administrators and GEAR UP staff. The purpose of this assessment is to learn more about each building's situation, concerns, and expectations of the program. The following questions can guide such discussion:

What are the strengths of your building?

What are the barriers/challenges within your building?

Are there unique student populations within your building?

How does your building support or promote college readiness?

Are there current interventions and/or programs in place?

How do you see GEAR UP staff supporting the academic and/or behavioral development of your students?

What does family engagement and involvement look like in your building, community, and neighborhood?

Are there current family-school partnerships, interventions, or collaborations in place now that GEAR UP could connect with?

What areas of professional development and/or training opportunities do you feel your teachers would benefit from most?

Analysis of the responses will greatly help in shaping the program overall and addressing the needs of each building accordingly. It may sound time-consuming, but it is worth doing it. A thorough analysis of the needs will allow the most efficient allocation of resources to close the gaps in the areas identified by the program.

Contributed By Nadia Kardash

Nadzeya (Nadia) Kardash, Ph.D., is an Associate Researcher with the Research, Evaluation & Dissemination Department in the Center for Educational Opportunity Programs. She currently conducts research and evaluation of the CEOP's federally funded college access programs including GEAR UP, TRIO, and other college access programs.

Follow @CEOPmedia on Twitter to learn more about how our Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination team leverages data and strategic dissemination to improve program outcomes while improving the visibility of college access programs.

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Why, When, and How to Conduct Needs Assessments

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In this post, we will address the reasons for conducting needs assessments for any college access program. We'll look at this from several angles to explain why, when, and how should needs assessments be done. First, let's define what we consider a needs assessment.

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Technology integration models provide a structure for integrating technology into daily instruction and enhancing the learning experience. With the use of these models, educators have a better understanding of how to properly integrate technology into their lessons and improve student learning outcomes.

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-The TPACK Framework: the purpose of this framework is to help educators become proficient in the areas of technology, pedagogy, & content knowledge

-The SAMR Model: helps educators consider how technology is being used in the classroom and if it is being used effectively

-Technology Integration Mix: helps educators evaluate technology in the classroom

-The ISTE Standards: provides structure for considering technology

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During my experience in instructional technology, I noticed an evolution in understanding technology integration that goes from seeing tech as "something extra" (often as an afterthought) to becoming embedded in the lesson design. This shift in thinking becomes evident when educators focus on lesson outcomes and planning with technology that supports the outcomes, rather than focusing on the tech tool and forcing a lesson to align. To aid in this evolution of thought around technology in lesson design, a variety of technology integration models emerged. Three in particular:

These technology integration models help educators plan, implement, and evaluate instruction effectively, and it's an added bonus that they come in the form of a fun acronym. Each model has its place and should be used conjunctively to ensure educators are using technology in meaningful and purposeful ways. I will share a brief description of these three models and when they should be used. Let's take a look at them!

What Is the SAMR Model?

The SAMR Model is one of the most widely used models for technology integration. It's the first model I learned when I started in instructional technology. Developed by Dr. Ruben Puentadura, SAMR categorizes technology use into four levels:

Often it is pictured in a ladder-like form and presented as levels ultimately reaching Redefinition. While I am more partial to the idea of SAMR as a swimming pool, I do not find this the optimal model for planning a lesson.

Planning a lesson by thinking, "I will achieve Augmentation by using..." places the focus on technology instead of the lesson objective. Additionally, redefining all lessons all of the time is exhausting. Sometimes, substituting a hand-written draft or worksheet with a digital version may be more than enough.

Instead, look at SAMR as an evaluative tool for technology integration. Wait until after the lesson is over and, using SAMR, gauge achievement of the levels based on student use of technology for learning. By looking at the lesson after the fact and seeing what level of SAMR the technology achieved, a teacher has a better idea of how students used the technology to learn. This will affect how the lesson is delivered in the future and allow the teacher to see if there is a balance between SAMR levels or if an opportunity to venture into a new level is possible.

What is the TPACK Model?

Moving beyond SAMR in my understanding of instructional technology, I came across the TPACK model. Developed by and Dr. Matthew Koehler, TPACK emphasizes the intersection of Technological, Pedagogical, and Content K nowledge. This is the model I recommend for lesson planning. It looks at the key parts of a lesson rather than the level of technology use when integrating technology.

First, you start with the content standard, move towards the pedagogy (instructional strategy) to teach the standard, and determine what technology tool/application would best support the instructional strategy. Furthering research into this model, Gomez (2015) suggested layering the three rather than intersecting them, showing the "combination of knowledge rather than the intersection of it." This emphasizes technology as part of the planning process.

What Is the TIM?

After TPACK, the third model introduced to me was TIM (Technology Integration Matrix), developed by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology. It offers a comprehensive framework for reflecting on technology integration in the classroom. It consists of five levels of technology integration:

The TIM focuses on the extent to which technology is integrated into instruction and provides guidance on the progression toward more sophisticated and transformative use.

A colleague, whose background focuses on instructional coaching, shared TIM with me as a way for teachers to reflect on how they integrate technology. I loved this! Reflection is an important part of learning, and the TIM Matrix is an excellent way for teachers to evaluate and grow in their instructional technology use.

How to Choose the Right Technology Integration Model for Your Objectives

When deciding which model to use, I like to think like Michael Fullan (2016, p. 45) who stated "[his point] is simple - make pedagogy the driver and technology the accelerator" and Liz Kolb whose "Learning First, Technology Second: The Educator's Guide to Designing Authentic Lessons" emphasizes technology's place as something in service of the learning and not center stage. This means it is crucial to consider the objectives we aim to achieve when selecting a model for technology integration rather than clingy to a model and forcing everything to fit:

Objective: Lesson design that integrates technology → TPACK

Objective: Evaluate student use of technology for learning → SAMR

Objective: Evaluate teacher use of technology in instruction → TIM

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, integrating technology into instruction and lesson design is essential for promoting student engagement and preparing them for the future. All three technology integration models are powerful tools when it comes to technology in learning. However, the combination of the three can empower educators in lesson design, student learning, and professional growth.

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Three Models for Technology Integration in Lesson Design

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Boost lesson design, student learning, and professional growth by combining the SAMR, TIM, and TPACK models for technology integration.

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Technology Integration Models / Model Descriptions

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Compared with the pace of technological innovations in the world, the educational system remains static. Technology use in the classroom has kept the same daily routines of teachers and students. While technology has been prevalent in the classroom for over a decade, implementing transformative use of devices remains challenging. Recognizing the need for more research on how technology should be utilized in the classroom, one 3rd teacher at a design thinking school was examined through a qualitative single-person case study. With technology integration frameworks such as Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model and the Substitution, Modification, Redefinition, and Redefinition (SAMR) model, this study highlighted the importance of interweaving technology with 21st-century curriculum.

Findings from the study highlighted the need for more research on teachers fusing technology with 21st-century skills to prepare students for the technologically advanced world. Teachers who embraced progressive pedagogy, such as design thinking, project-based learning, and blended learning, witnessed a paradigm shift in the field of education using technology. This study found that to transform student learning experience with technology, the curriculum needs to be grounded in preparing students with 21st-century skills. The results also determined that technology mandating at the district level is ineffective because a traditional district will not impose innovative use of technology in the classroom. The technological knowledge needed to be distributed among people who play a role in students' education, such as school leaders, teachers, parents, and community members. The study concluded with the contributions to implications for policy, practice, and future research.

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Technology Integration in Design Thinking School: A Case Study of One 3rd Grade Teacher

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Compared with the pace of technological innovations in the world, the educational system remains static. Technology use in the classroom has kept the same daily routines of teachers and students. W...

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The widely adopted ISTE Standards provide a framework for educators to create high-impact, sustainable and scalable learning experiences for all students.

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Technology standards provide a concise and uniform framework for incorporating digital tools into the learning experience. These guidelines provide educators with the tools they need in order to help students succeed in a setting that heavily relies on technology. These standards support educators in creating curricula and stimulate critical thinking in a way that may be considered "non-traditional". Additionally, standards ensure that technology is being used properly and ethically in the learning environment.

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Maryland College and Career Ready (MCCR) Standards for English Language Arts/Literacy

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To learn more about the standards, click here. To learn more about the NGSS Appendices,click here.

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1. Identify all individuals involved in the change process

2. Make sure stakeholders understand the change

3. Determine perceptions of the innovation

4. Identify concerns

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We're passionate about collaborating with educators and communities and sharing lessons learned to realize the power and promise of future-ready, deeper learning for every student. In our Insights section you'll find our Battelle for Kids blog, videos, thought leadership, and resources to support your work.

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Insights | Deeper Learning Resources | Battelle for Kids

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Looking to explore the world of 21st century learning? Check out our videos, podcasts, educational frameworks and other thought leadership resources.

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Adopting a new product or procedure is known as innovation adoption. When thinking about innovation adoption, it is important to understand that every innovation is different. Furthermore, one must remember that the rate at which individuals adapt to innovation will vary. While change is good, it is important to understand that innovation adoption happens overtime and not all at once.

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Editor's note: This post is co-authored by Marcus Conyers who, with Donna Wilson, is co-developer of the M.S. and Ed.S. Brain-Based Teaching degree programs at Nova Southeastern University.
Effective teaching is a continual work in progress. As educators, we adapt our practice each year to a new group of students, each of whom brings a unique blend of strengths, challenges, and experiences to learning. We adopt new curricula and apply new standards and mandates. We are always on the lookout for new approaches and strategies demonstrated by educational research to work in the classroom.

But all these changes can be hard. For example, adopting a new approach may require changes to lessons, new forms of assessing and monitoring student performance, more substantial consultation with colleagues, and adaptation of strategies to make continuous improvements. As teachers, we are willing to invest the time and effort required to change our practice if we clearly foresee the benefits of that change.

The Social Mechanics of Change

For decades, social scientists have been studying how change happens, and you may find the implications of that research useful in endeavors to implement transformational teaching changes in your school with colleagues, administrators, parents, and other stakeholders. A central theory that describes the pace and path of acceptance of new ideas and innovations was put forth by Everett Rogers (PDF). Rogers described how the diffusion of innovation takes place in a social system as people undergo a five-step process to assess the impact of change on their work and lives:

1. In the knowledge step, they become aware of a new idea and begin to develop their understanding of the function of this innovation.

2. People are then persuaded to form either a favorable or unfavorable attitude about this change.

3. They decide whether to adopt or reject the innovation.

4. They implement the new idea.

5. They confirm their decision by evaluating the results of the implementation.

Rogers' theory acknowledges that people go through these steps at widely varying speeds and in ways that influence how others around them will respond to and adopt the innovation. Some people are innovators, the first in line to try out new things. Close behind them are early adopters, who are drawn to a new idea through the positive responses of innovators about the benefits of adopting it. Following the early adopters in stages are the early majority, the late majority, and the laggards, who may resist adopting a new idea until they are penalized in some way for resisting.

Your School at the Tipping Point

The adoption rate of a new idea or approach is influenced by several factors. Applying these factors to education:

1. The first and foremost is how teachers and administrators perceive the advantages of a new idea or approach in comparison to the status quo. In other words, does it seem likely that this new approach will improve students' academic performance?

2. Is this new approach compatible with the existing professional values and past experiences of teachers and administrators?

3. If the new idea is complex, how can it be presented in a way that makes it understandable, relevant, and actionable?

4. Can teachers try out this new approach, experiment with it, and adapt it?

5. Are the results observable? The more clearly that positive change can be demonstrated, the more likely teachers and administrators will be to embrace a new approach.

At the core of diffusion of innovation theory is the tipping point at which a new idea gains wider acceptance and adoption. The tipping point is the stage where small changes and advances have accumulated to gain significant momentum toward more profound progress. For educators, the question becomes: What can people who are in favor of this progress do to "move the dial" toward the tipping point? This issue is at the heart of transformational teaching -- finding ways to move effective educational practices and initiatives past the tipping point into the realm where teachers, administrators, and policy makers acknowledge their positive impact and agree on the need to integrate them into school systems.

Adopting Innovation

In the school setting, the introduction and adoption of innovations take place within the social system of a collaborative work environment. Some strategies that might be useful in gaining support for positive change in your school or district include:

Identify and clearly communicate the observable benefits demonstrated in research and practice, repeatedly and by whatever means available, of adopting an innovation.

Get opinion leaders on your side. Seek out the support of influential colleagues and administrators who are likely to become early adopters of an initiative and willing to spread the positive word to others.

Marshal organizational support by advocating for policy and procedural changes that will facilitate adoption of the innovation.

Take advantage of social networks, electronic channels, and other engaging ways to make the case for change.

Authors' note: This post was adapted from our new book Smarter Teacher Leadership: Neuroscience and the Power of Purposeful Collaboration, which will be published this fall by Teachers College Press.

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Transform Teaching With the Diffusion of Innovation | Edutopia

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Editor's note: This post is co-authored by Marcus Conyers who, with Donna Wilson, is co-developer of the M.S. and Ed.S. Brain-Based Teaching degree programs at Nova Southeastern University. Effective teaching is a continual work in progress. As educators, we adapt our practice each year to a new group of students, each of whom brings a unique blend of strengths, challenges, and experiences to learning.