The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) today released the results of its first annual CoSN K-12 IT Leadership Survey, as the association kicks off its 2013 Annual Conference. The survey polled district technology leaders nationwide to capture technology trends, challenges and priorities surrounding K-12 technology leadership.
According to the survey’s findings:
- 80% of school district technology leaders predict flat or declining IT budgets for the upcoming year.
- The top challenges facing IT leadership include budget and resources (76%), the transition from teacher- to student-centered culture (66%) and the breaking down silos within districts (40%).
- The top three priorities for district technology leaders in the current school year are: 1) implementing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategies (43%); 2) preparing for the 2014-2015 Common Core State Online Assessments (35%); and 3) increasing broadband access (24%).
Additional key results from the survey:
- Nearly 43% (majority) of districts refer to technology leaders as “Chief Technology Officer” (CTO) or “Chief Information Officer” (CIO).
- 58% of district technology leaders report directly to the district superintendent.
- More than 60% of district technology leaders have six or more years of experience in their current positions (more than double the average tenure of a district superintendent).
- 80% of district technology leaders head both administrative and instructional technology.
- K-12 CTOs salaries lag behind the business sector. 65% of the CTOs report a salary of less than $100,000 while the average reported salary in the business sector for a CTO is over $190,000.
- More than 80% of respondents recognize CoSN, and more than 50% of respondents recognize CoSN’s Certified Education Technology Leadership (CETL) Program.
To view the complete report, please visit: www.cosn.org/ITSurvey.
