April 24, 2012 – Top-ranked school districts have been announced in the eighth annual Digital School Districts Survey by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and convergemag.com. The survey showcases exemplary school boards’ and districts’ use of technology to govern the district, communicate with students, parents and the community and to improve district operations.
The top ten rankings reflect those school boards/districts with the fullest implementation of technology benchmarks in the evolution of digital education, as represented in the survey questions.
The first-place winners in each classification are:
• Henry County Public Schools, Va. (Between 3,000 and 12,000 students)
• Springville-Griffith Institute Central Schools, N.Y. (3,000 students or less)
All U.S. public school districts are eligible to participate in the survey with the three classifications based on size of enrollment. View the full list of winners below.
“New and emerging technologies challenge the process of teaching, learning and the way education is managed,” said LeiLani Cauthen, vice president of the Center for Digital Education. “Survey responses reflect innovation in action, and how boards and districts are adapting curriculum, communication and collaboration by embracing digital technologies. Congratulations to this year’s winners!”
“Districts across the country are increasingly using technology to support the work of their school boards, streamline district operations, and effectively engage their communities,” said NSBA’s Executive Director Anne L. Bryant. “This survey recognizes those district technology practices that can inspire others and demonstrates that innovative approaches can be embraced by any district, regardless of its size or location.”
Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) is a not-for-profit organization representing state associations of school boards and their more than 90,000 local school board members throughout the U.S. Working with and through our state associations, NSBA advocates for equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. See www.nsba.org
The Center thanks Avaya and Samsung for underwriting the survey and for their support of school districts across the nation.
The Center for Digital Education is a national research and advisory institute specializing in K-12 and higher education technology trends, policy and funding. CDE supports the Converge media platform composed of the Converge Special Reports and convergemag.com.
The Center is a division of eRepublic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.
Congratulations, 2012 Digital School Districts Survey Top Ten!
Large Student Population District category:
1st Barrow County School System, GA
2nd Fayette County Schools, GA
2nd Township High School District 214, IL
3rd Roanoke County Public Schools, VA
3rd Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, GA
4th Prince William County Public Schools, VA
5th Klein Independent School District, TX
5th Mobile County Public School System, AL
6th Cherokee County School District, GA
6th Colorado Springs School District Eleven, CO
7th Mansfield Independent School District, TX
7th Northwest Independent School District, TX
8th Frederick County Public Schools, MD
8th Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA
8th Richmond County School System, GA
9th Rowan-Salisbury School System, NC
10th Blue Valley School District #229, KS
Mid-sized Student Population District category:
1st Henry County Public Schools, VA
2nd Fayetteville Public Schools, AR
3rd Marietta City Schools, GA
4th Decatur City Schools, AL
4th Oconomowoc Area School District, WI
5th Vineland School District, NJ
6th City Schools of Decatur, GA
7th Madison County Schools, KY
8th Bulloch County Schools, GA
9th Bergenfield Board of Education, NJ
10th Andover Public Schools, KS
Small Student Population District category:
1st Springville-Griffith Institute Central Schools, NY
2nd Gooding Joint School District #231, ID
3rd Harrisburg School District, SD
4th Maine Regional School Unit 21, ME
5th Carroll County School District, KY
6th Geneseo Community Unit School District 228, IL
7th Orange City Schools, OH
8th Chickamauga City Schools, GA
8th Hanson School District, SD
9th Jefferson City Schools, GA
9th Long County School District, GA
10th Fort Thomas Independent Schools, KY
Summary of Selected Survey Findings and Trends:
75% of responding districts maintain a presence on one or more social networking sites; up 43% in the last year and a half
Social Networking Policies:
• 72% have policies to address teacher/student interactions on social networking sites
• 62% have developed and published online social networking policies
• 42% are in the process of formulating social networking policies
• 5% are not actively developing social networking policies
Website Transparency Measures – increased an average 17% from last year:
• Board goals or Strategic Plan and annual progress posted online
• District’s budget information published online
• District’s Technology Plan accessible online by public
• Parents/guardians are provided secure online access to their child's grades/progress reports
• School choices and criteria within the district are clearly described and easily accessible online
Digital Content/Curriculum Strategy: Nearly 2/3 (65%) of responding districts have a digital content (curriculum) strategy containing elements such as:
• using e-Textbooks (textbooks and workbooks available digitally or online),
• Web 2.0 tools (collaboration, research, quiz tools),
• Instructional games and simulations,
• video (films, TV programs, YouTube segments, vodcasts) and
• audio (music lectures, podcasts).
For more information, contact Janet Grenslitt, Director of Surveys and Awards, Center for Digital Education, jgrenslitt@centerdigitaled.com, or 916-932-1363
Digital School Districts Survey Sponsors:
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Avaya is a leading global provider of next-generation business collaboration and communications solutions. Avaya is helping schools build their next generation campus by creating one that is more mobile and connected, where distance learning opportunities are expanded, where productivity of teachers, faculty and staff are enhanced and where exceptional customer service is delivered.
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At Samsung we create solutions that empower educators and students to embrace tomorrow's opportunities today. Our innovative offerings add value to curriculums by giving instructors the tools they need to engage students, elevate learning and bring lesson plans to life.
