“I am excited about taking what I have learned and sharing with the teachers.” “The scope of the Technology Applications TEKS (state curriculum framework) is overwhelming. Every district should have this to know how to implement the TA TEKS.” “I am ready to go back to implement more technology.” Many participants state that without the sanctioned time to learn technology leadership development skills, they would not take time from their demanding jobs to
learn the use of technology to enhance student learning.
Academy Participant Profile Demographic data from an online questionnaire indicate a distribution of participation from across the state as reported by regional education service center areas; i.e., the Academy is accessible to all parts of the state. Participants represent schools/school districts of all sizes from very small to very large in fairly equal percentages with private and charter schools making up approximately 6.9 percent of the total representation.
Participant Report of School Size UIL School Size Designation
1A
2A
3A
4A
5A
Charter/ Non-Public
12.2%
15.2%
20.5%
17.7%
27.5%
6.9%
Demographic Information Gender
Male
49.4%
Female
50.6%
Role
Superintendent
17.2%
Principal
76.6%
Associate or Assistant Superintendent
1.8%
Attending as:
Individual
39.5%
Assistant Principal Part of a team
4.3% 60.5%
Note: Percentage totals may be slightly greater or less than 100 percent due to rounding. As a percentage, and compared to Year One, more principals are participating in the Year Two Academy; more administrators are attending as individuals; and more females are attending. Representation is fairly evenly distributed across small to large districts, as seen in UIL School Size Designation, with more registrants from the large 5A districts.
Training Model
One matching funds grant, from Houston Endowment Inc., has allowed leaders other than the superintendent and principals to register. Beginning in 2001–2002, associate superintendents, assistant superintendents, and assistant principals, as well as superintendents and principals, were encouraged to enroll from Harris County, specifically due to
In 2001–2002, each administrator in the Academy received four days of Academy training, online support, and a notebook computer with their registration fee of $875. (The registration fee is $775 for Year Three of the grant.) Participants must complete a personal action plan in technology leadership and three assessments, including the TAGLIT (Taking a Good Look at Instructional
Houston Endowment Inc. matching funds. In both years of the Academy, 128 administrators have attended from Harris County. The development of “layers of leaders” in the Harris County districts has provided a strong model for the project.
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