Access to technology and the Internet brings school districts both tremendous opportunities and incredible challenges. One of those challenges is assessing a school's progress with technology given today's rapid pace of change.

To address this challenge and to inform their next phase of implementation with learning technology, officials from the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township (MSDLT) commissioned an independent audit by the Metiri Group in the fall of 2000. The study was intended to complement data collected through the Technology Initiative for Teaching and Learning (TILT) and to serve as a baseline for MSDLT's new five-year technology plan.

Metiri's study of Lawrence Township attempted to answer the following questions:

1. How is technology adding value to student learning? Is the District's vision forward-looking, and is it shared across stakeholder groups?

2. Is the school system changing policies and procedures to fully leverage technology for learning, teaching, leading, and managing?

3. Do users have high-speed, reliable access inside the school and beyond? Is the technology access adequate to meet learning goals?

4. Are children acquiring 21st century skills and learning in different, more powerful ways as a result of the District's vision?

5. Are educators ready to use technology effectively in the teaching and learning processes?

6. Is access to and use of technology equitable?

The study was organized around enGauge, a framework for effective technology use recently co-developed by the Metiri Group together with the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium.

Findings and recommendations were drawn from multiple sources, including: surveys of 491 teachers, 40 building administrators and 11 central office staff members; interviews with the superintendent, board members, principals, parents, teachers and community members; and 18 site visits to every school and program site in the District. The final report was presented to the Board of Education, and has served as a guiding document for Lawrence Township's ongoing commitment to advancing student learning with technology.

Click here to view the Executive Summary and Board Presentation materials on the MSDLT web site.