Technology Implementation 1
Technology Implementation
Angela Roberts
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Angela Roberts
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Angela Roberts. Email: Afroberts@liberty.edu
Technology Implementation 2
Superintendents are responsible for a multitude of things in a district. They stand at the
forefront, monitoring schools and working with all stakeholders to ensure student success and
achievement. Decisions are made daily, which significantly impact students district-wide.
Technology is one of the most important topics in education. The decision to implement and
change instruction ultimately falls on the shoulders of the superintendent to explain to the school
board and all stakeholders. According to Davis (2013), "Superintendents have to understand that
principals are the key to improving student learning. …they have to adopt a districtwide
framework emphasizing the principal's instructional role" (p. 223). So how do I address a group
of principals whose teachers are livid due to lack of collaboration in the process and are
demanded to change their instructional practices to include technology implementation? It
depends.
I have read various articles about failing schools and that when a school is a sinking ship,
it is not the time to implement shared decision-making. A large part of being a leader is making
decisions. In the case of a sinking ship school, I would expect the leader to make the autocratic
decision and then monitor and adjust accordingly.
One of the first things I would do is gain access to data measures needed to better
understand what is going on at the schools. I would also visit each site and conduct
walkthroughs and individual meetings with the principals. Of course, any data received at the
District level is beneficial, but my visit to the schools would give the data some context. The
other thing to note about visiting the sites is that I would learn what kind of support and guidance
I needed to provide to each individual school. I call this differentiated support. For example, in
a low-performing, Title I school, I would allocate the regular support of the curriculum
Technology Implementation 3
coordinators and instructional directors until the school is stabilized. After that, I would continue
to have my team progress monitor.
If I were to meet with the principals as a cohort, I would establish a process around
collaboration and feedback on all instructional initiatives. I would try to understand their
interpretation of the instructional change rollout as they understood it from the previous
superintendent (here again, context is everything). I don't think I would institute any sweeping
changes or browbeat my principals because I would not want to say that their implementation
process was inappropriate. Instead, it would be best to understand the dynamics of each site, the
context of the decisions that were made, and then to develop individual plans for moving forward
about how to align the conversation with faculty members towards student growth and
achievement. For example, I would meet with principals to show and explain the benefits of the
various types of leadership models and even go into which may be best in different situations
(brand new principal with veteran teachers versus seasoned principal with veteran teachers, etc.)
Individual principals should steer faculty conversations in that direction, utilizing data and
initiating the feedback loop whereby teachers can discuss what is working, what is not working,
and suggestions for continued implementation. I would also encourage principals to have an
active teacher forum, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), and School Improvement Committee
(SIC). As a superintendent, I would make sure to continue to check in with principals at their
individual sites, not just to be seen, but to roll up my sleeves and visit work sessions to gain
understanding and provide support. Part of the process would include encouraging collaboration
among principals, technology, and instructional coaches to create an implementation plan that
fits the needs of students and is less authoritative from teachers' viewpoints and district staff
Technology Implementation 4
seeking input from the school level. I'd also evaluate how the changes align with the district's
short-range plans and goals.
