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Building Leadership Capacity

Tags:Leadership, Policy

See the full Moving Toward Solutions: Assistive and Learning Technology for All Students report reflecting these ideas.

Key Finding from the NCTI Moving Toward Solutions Report

Inadequate teacher preparation, low awareness, and gaps in leadership at all levels of the education system undermine the implementation of assistive and learning technology. Few incentives or enforcement mechanisms of existing credentialing standards create a weak link in the preparation of new teachers and administrators. Although some training is available through statewide organizations and other providers, the capacity of these organizations is limited to address the waves of under-prepared professionals throughout the system.

Recommendation

Developing leadership to use and integrate technology in general and special education is critical. The teacher preparation programs and accrediting bodies must raise expectations and accountability to ensure that professionals have the necessary skills to ensure effective integration of assistive and learning technology. This can only happen when a powerful vocal coalition of leaders, researchers, parents, and others educate policymakers and the accrediting boards to consider assistive and learning technology as essential to student achievement.

Implication

Those who receive credentials to work in the schools require preparation that qualifies them to implement assistive and learning technology in the classroom. It is crucial that those involved in preparing these educators raise expectations and standards to ensure that, at a minimum, teachers have an understanding about assistive and learning technology prior to entering the classroom. Taking action within the education profession includes changing the policy landscape toward teacher preparation, incentives, and recognition with a concerted, national effort to impact legislative and regulatory language.