1. Technology Support Solutions for Rural Schools: Evaluand Profile and Evaluation Practice Mark Hawkes, Dakota State University Rob Honomichl, Madison High School, Madison, SD 24 th Annual Rural and Small Schools Conference Manhattan, November 2002

2. Tasks in Technology Facilitation Network system management Hardware/software installation and maintenance Servicing staff and student email accounts Responding to LAN and WAN issues System back-ups Repairs and Upgrades of serviceable items Satellite downlinking Interactive video system bridging Video production, editing, and distribution Help Desk support Instructional Design School staff Professional Development Grant Writing Software evaluation Policy development

3. Concerns in Rural School Technology Use Dependence on vendor service (slow, costly) Extended lengths of technology down time The resources for maintaining and facilitating technology in schools limited Majority of funds allocated to teacher development—not to technology support Digital Dakota Network underutilized

4. Common Support Strategies Full time network administrators/technology coordinators Multi-person technology support teams Information Technology specialist on staff

5. Evaluation Approach Broad scale survey of primary technology support personnel –23 structured format items –Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota –268 surveys distributed, 48% response rate Success case profiles Develop “best practice” blue print Organize state and local resources to implement model facilitation activities

6. Personal Characteristics FemaleMale Average Age41.742.2 Average Salary$30,631$35,586 Gender45%55%

7. Training and Qualifications DisciplineNumberPercentage Education7457 Information Technology1714 Science1613 Other1512 English43 Fine Arts22

8. Sources of Coordinator Training TrainingPercentageQuality Self-taught or work experience652.84 Inservice (workshops/conferences) 262.99 Advance degrees92.86

9. Coordinator Perception of Quality of Training

10. Frequency and Source of Support

11. Allocation of Coordinator Responsibilities TaskRural %Urban % Teaching student courses*24.37.6 Technical support to other teachers/staff14.616.6 Maintaining or repairing network/equipment13.216.8 Installing hardware/software*10.83.4 Training teachers/staff to use technology7.35.8 Purchasing hardware/software6.38.3 Integrating technology into curriculum4.73.0 Other capacities (committees, coaching, etc.)4.35.5 Developing school/district policies for technology use*3.815.0 Serving on computer-related committees3.44.8 Developing products for teachers or school (web sites, etc.)2.54.4 Other4.78.6

12. Taxonomy of Coordinator Tasks TasksPercentage Pedagogical Teaching student courses Training teachers/staff to use technology Purchasing hardware/software Integrating technology into curriculum 42.6 24.3 7.3 6.3 4.7 Technical Technical support to other teachers/staff Maintaining or repairing network/equipment Installing hardware/software Developing products for teachers or school (web sites, etc.) 41.1 14.6 13.2 10.8 2.5 Managerial Other capacities (committees, etc.)  Developing school/district policies for technology use  Serving on computer-related committees 11.5 4.3 3.8 3.4

13. Element of Technology Facilitation for Rural Schools Emerge from the teaching ranks Technology coordinator transitions from the classroom Focused but relevant program of study that includes but is not limited to network administration, computer hardware characteristics, multimedia production, instructional design, and leadership in school change. Supported on-going training

14. Gender and Technology Facilitation

15. Coordinator Time on Task

16. Coordinator Task Proficiency Comparison

17. Network Operating Systems Serviced by Coordinators

18. Training Sources for General Technology Facilitation (ave.) Male (%) (ave.) Female (%) Self-taught or on-the-job work experience* (2.87) 95.8%(2.80) 81.0% In-service (workshops/conferences) (2.99) 94.4%(3.00) 75.9% Formal degree*#(2.80) 43.7%(3.00) 24.1%

19. Training Sources for Network Administration (ave.) Male (%) (ave.) Female (%) Self-taught: books, manuals, practice# (2.50) 83.1 (2.68) 82.8 State or district supported workshops*# (2.78) 77.5 (2.58) 63.8 Outside vendor or Third party (2.85) 49.3 (2.87) 53.4 Higher Education (2.80) 45.1 (2.88) 44.8 Did not receive training (2.38) 12.7 (2.50) 12.1

20. Training Support Men (%)Women (%) Financial support provided* 54.962.1 Amount financed by the district* 70.5 77.7

21. Technology Program Funding Men (%)Women (%) Technology funds are adequate*9281 District budget as funding source 87.387.9 Government and vendor grants as funding sources* 36.632.8 Other external funding source (independent contributions, PTO, etc.)* 29.620.7

22. Compensation Differential Men earn 10.3% more in wages than women in the same position Men with a bachelors degree averaged $32,909 whereas women with a bachelors degree averaged $31,060 Men with a master’s degree averaged $38,458 while women holding the same degree averaged $33,358. Men averaged 13.9 years experience whereas women averaged 13.4 years.

23. Drawing women to Technology Facilitation Positions As one of the most highly visible information technology roles school age children are exposed to, the school technology coordinator can be extremely influential in building beliefs among girls Find value in the challenge of school technology management and coordination Support helps the school system and individual learners

29. Paper and Slides Available at: www.homepages.dsu.edu/hawkesm/Pres entations.htm Contact Information: mark.hawkes@dsu.edu honomicr@pluto.dsu.edu www.homepages.dsu.edu/hawkesm/Pres entations.htm mark.hawkes@dsu.edu