Students experience a "digital disconnect" between school and their personal lives. A similar chasm exists between generations, separating students and teachers. A survey of administrators, however, has found and defined some exceptions.

Leadership in the 21^st Century, a report from Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc., looks at "visionary administrators." These people, many of whom are profiled in the report, are more likely to share the technology values of students than those of their administrative peers.

Interviews with nine visionary administrators representing four school districts and three schools helped verify survey results and explain answers. Key findings include:

• Technology management has evolved from a district business service to a core instructional service where technology administrators work closely with curriculum and instruction staff to analyze needs and plan strategically. Almost all visionary administrators (93%) believe that using technology improves student achievement.
• When asked what challenges wake them up in the middle of the night, visionary administrators (46%) were more likely to select the incorporation of 21st century skills into instruction than administrators generally (28%).
• Visionary administrators were the only group more likely to self-rate their technology skills as more advanced than their peers (58%) compared to the same as peers (39%) or less developed (just 3%). As decision makers, they have the opportunity and the experience to help usher in a new culture of learning with seamless integration of technology, reducing the digital disconnect for students.
• Visionary administrators do not just talk about technology, they are often twice as likely as their peers to use it, closing the digital disconnect with students. For example, they are more likely than students to remix content (29% vs. 20%) and read or post blog or wiki entries (56% vs. 19%).
• When selecting features of the ultimate 21st century school, visionary administrators had more in common with students than with their administrator peers. They were 20% more likely to select access to digital equipment for creating multi-media projects, interactive whiteboards in every classroom, online databases for research, online tools to streamline communications between teachers, parents and students, and online classes.
• Administrators agreed on the top technology implementation challenges: funding, professional development, and evaluating emerging technologies. Visionary administrators were significantly more likely to identify assessment of technology skills as a challenge (42% vs. 30%). Interviews show how visionary administrators leverage local resources, local talent, different funding strate­gies, and a range of technology solutions to overcome these challenges. When asked which metrics proved most effective in measuring the impact of technology on student achievement, a strong majority (64%) of visionary administrators favored 21st century skills measurements and achievement on state assessments a close second.

• Visionary administrators are leading the introduction of online learning and mobile devices into the classroom by supporting teacher exploration of new tools. Over half of all visionary adminis­trators say that they would provide or expand online courses to keep students engaged in school. With regard to mobile devices, 76% of visionary administrators believe that they will increase student engagement, and equitable access concerned 37% of visionary administrators.

Leadership in the 21st Century is the latest in a series of in-depth reports based on the Speak Up data findings from the nonprofit Project Tomorrow (formerly NetDay) and supported by Blackboard. Since 2003, more than 1 million students have participated in Speak Up surveys. Currently, students, teachers, parents and school leaders are participating in the Speak Up 2008 survey that will run through December 19.

Sources: Leadership in the 21^st Century, and Blackboard Inc. press release, New Report Profiles Role of 'Visionary Administrators' in Bridging the Digital Disconnect in Schools

Click here to participate in Speak Up 2008.