June 2005 — Features
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A Bridge to Success
The STLI was funded initially through a grant from the US Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), but it has also received broad corporate and organizational support. In 2002, we developed our curriculum and nurtured strategic partnerships with Microsoft, IBM, the National School Boards Association, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the Consortium for School Networking. In 2003, we began offering our graduate certificate program, working with higher education partners and increasing our outreach activities. Importantly, our solution targets both current practitioners and future school leadership candidates.Graduates of the STLI can lead and manage technology use in schools. They plan for the technological future of school organizations and provide options for growth and greater success in student achievement, teacher proficiency, and employee professional development through their technology decisionmaking. We prepare them to increase overall efficiency of their organizations through effective implementation of technology; in addition, they have a greater understanding and recognition of the safety, security, legal, and ethical issues inherent in the implementation of technology in K-12 schools. Finally, graduates of the STLI provide leadership and guidance for their technology coordinators and other staff members.
Supporting the Bridge
Like spans and initiatives alike, the STLI is supported by solid pillars—four interconnected activities that synergistically bridge the no man’s land between technology and school leadership:
- Curriculum Development: The STLI developed and delivers a 15-credit graduate certificate program that encompasses the breadth and depth of the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A).
- Higher Education Outreach: The STLI provides assistance to other educational leadership graduate programs that wish to enhance their own school technology- related preparation practices.
- K-12 Outreach: The STLI electronically disseminates many of its curricular components, program development suggestions, resources on current issues, and other school technology leadership information to facilitate K-12 professional development and support practitioners.
- Strategic Partnerships: The STLI works with major corporations, educational organizations, educational leadership associations, and other partners in curriculum development and outreach initiatives.
Inside the STLI Academic Program
The NETS-A,one of three sets of standards (see also: NETS for Teachers and NETS for Students) created by ISTE and associated stakeholder associations, serve as national standards guiding effective preparation of school administrators in the area of information technology (cnets.iste.org/tssa). Using the NETS-A as a guide, we developed 15 one-credit courses grouped within three themes:
