CONTACT: Ray Weiss
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BUSINESS
PRAISES ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, EFFORTS TO CLOSE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN MARYLAND
SCHOOLS
New MBRT Survey Shows
Untapped Potential for Technology Use
BALTIMORE, MD (2/26/03)
--- Technology
use in Maryland’s public schools has not begun to reach its full
potential, according to the latest online survey of technology in state
schools.
Released today by the Maryland
Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT), the survey indicates that while 70% of Maryland
students regularly use computers for word processing, only 19% create databases or
spreadsheets on a consistent basis. Less than 16% of schools report using technology to
manipulate or analyze data on a regular basis, while a mere 12% use computers to perform
measurements or collect data.
"The power of technology lies
in the way in which it is used, and the new survey clearly shows that Maryland classrooms
have barely begun to scratch the surface when it comes to the most complex and powerful
uses of technology," says MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus.
The good news, according to
Streckfus, is that access to technology in Maryland’s public schools remains high,
putting resources into the hands of those closest to the students. Despite using a higher
standard to calculate the number of computers (computers with Pentium II processors or
higher in the latest survey vs. 486 processors in previous surveys), the
student-to-computer ratio statewide stands at the state target of 5-to-1.
The new survey indicates that the
state’s public schools continue to make steady progress toward established targets in
a number of key areas. More than 92% of classrooms statewide, for example, are now able to
access the Internet, up from 2% in 1997. Only Baltimore City and Prince George’s
County have less than 90% of classrooms connected to the Internet, with 68% and 88%
respectively.
Cable TV reception currently is
available in 87% of classrooms statewide, while 67% of schools maintain their own school
web page.
"With technology and
applications advancing at such a rapid rate, though, it is imperative for school systems
to make a continuing investment in technology infrastructure, upgrading outdated computer
equipment and software and enhancing professional development for teachers and
administrators in order to sustain the progress that has been made to date,"
Streckfus cautions.
The survey points out the need for
professional training that must accompany the purchase and use of new, higher level
technology. While a relatively high percentage of teachers statewide currently use
technology to communicate with other staff members (72%), maintain student data (76%), and
record attendance and grades (81%), the numbers drop dramatically with more advanced
applications.
For example, less than half (48%) of
teachers statewide use technology to generate and administer tests. Only 34% use email to
communicate with parents or guardians, while a mere 10% use technology for collaborative
projects.
Teacher knowledge and skills with
respect to technology also fell in the latest survey, although this is primarily
attributable to the more stringent definitions now being used in the survey to determine
intermediate computer and Internet use.
The new survey shows that 71% of
teachers statewide understand computer file organization, use computer utilities to browse
file structure, and know how to back-up files. Sixty-four percent are able to design
classroom or homework activities which require students to use the Internet as a reference
resource.
"Teachers must have the tools
to teach well, and that means both the latest technology and the professional development
that will allow them to regularly use that technology to its fullest extent," says
Maryland State School Superintendent Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick.
Beyond professional development, Dr.
Grasmick also notes that challenges remain in eliminating the digital divide in Maryland
schools. The latest data show that the digital divide has decreased significantly when
looking at student-to-computer ratios, with some of the highest poverty schools actually
having more computers that meet the new, more stringent standards than more affluent
schools. Schools with the highest poverty, however, remain below average in classroom
Internet connectivity, teacher knowledge and skills, and students and administrator use of
technology.
"It is the digital divide in
student use that is of most concern," says Grasmick. "The survey shows that, in
general, the higher the poverty level in schools, the less frequently technology will be
used for tasks that require higher-level thinking and meaningful application of knowledge
and skills. Given recent research that links improved student learning with these uses of
technology, it is imperative to eliminate this gap."
Dr. Grasmick stresses that
eliminating the gap means more than just access to technology. "Teachers, especially
in these high-poverty schools, must have more professional development in using technology
with their students, particularly for meaningful, challenging, and thought-provoking
tasks," she says.
"Student learning is the bottom
line," notes Robert Marshall, President and CEO of AWS Convergence Technologies and
Chair of MBRT’s Committee on Technology in Education. "We have made tremendous
progress in acquiring technology infrastructure and establishing the connectivity needed
in our schools. But the investment in technology cannot end there. Teachers and students
must acquire and use meaningful content and apply technology as a tool to significantly
improve learning."
The online survey – developed
by Mr. Marshall, MBRT’s Committee on Technology in Education, and two offices of the
Maryland State Department of Education, the Office of Instructional Technology &
School Library Media and the Office of Information Technology – has revolutionized
Maryland’s ability not only to collect data on what technology is in schools, but to
analyze and report how it is being used, how it affects learning, and where it is not
being used effectively.
Plans call for MBRT’s Committee
on Technology in Education to continue analyzing the data collected from the technology
inventory, using findings as a planning tool in charting the state’s strategic
direction and in identifying future areas of concern.
The new MBRT survey results are
posted online at www.mbrt.org and www.marylandpublicschools.org.
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