District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review and Approval of Updated Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards

I recommend that the Board of Education review and approve the updated Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards. The updated standards are enclosed for your review.

Background

Mass. Gen. Laws c. 69, § 1D authorizes the Board to "direct the commissioner to institute a process to develop academic standards for the core subjects of mathematics, science and technology, history and social science, English, foreign languages and the arts." The Board adopted and published the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks under this authority.

The statute further provides: "The board may also include in the standards a fundamental knowledge of technology education and computer science and keyboarding skills." Accordingly, in October 2001 the Board approved and published the Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards, defining what K-12 students should know and be able to do in order to use technologies for learning. The intent was and is to integrate teaching of the standards into the curriculum, rather than teaching "technology literacy" as a separate subject. The updated Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards document that we are presenting this month is a revision of the document that the Board approved in October 2001.

Starting in 2007, the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to report 8th grade technology literacy on a yearly basis. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is reporting this through its annual EdFacts report to the U.S. Department of Education. We gather the information through the annual technology plan data collection. School districts report students' technology proficiency using the state's technology literacy standards.

Purpose of the Revision

Technology has changed substantially since 2001. Massachusetts students need to graduate knowing how to use technology tools skillfully, ethically, and responsibly. The purpose of this document is to assist schools in teaching students how to use technology to learn the content of the curriculum and to be well prepared for higher education, careers, and adult life. These technology literacy skills will help students function effectively in a world where technologies are constantly changing and information grows ever more abundant.

Key Changes in the Updated Standards

In this revision we have made four key changes to the 2001 document:

• The revised document focuses on the research, problem-solving, and communication skills that are recommended by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in its policy paper, The Road to 21st Century Learning. The policy paper is available online at: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Policy_Paper.pdf. The Partnership is a national network of states, businesses, and other organizations. In June 2007, Governor Deval Patrick announced that Massachusetts has become a leadership state in this network.
• The revised document devotes more attention to digital citizenship, ethics, society, and safety. It includes clear guidelines for students to be responsible in the use of technology, to understand general rules for safe Internet practices, to understand federal and state laws regarding computer crimes, and to exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
• The revised document groups specific technology skills under four grade spans: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12, instead of three grade spans.
• The title has been changed from The Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards to Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards.

Process for the Revision

In May 2006, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education collaborated with the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council and the Board's Educational Technology Advisory Council to bring together a group of educators from higher education, K-12 school districts, and educational organizations to review and update the 2001 document. The working group reviewed, compared, and evaluated a number of national, state, and local standards documents in order to ensure that the Massachusetts standards would be as comprehensive as possible.

In October 2006, the Department shared the draft of the updated standards with business representatives from the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. In addition, over 300 educators across the Commonwealth had an opportunity to review and comment on the draft at two roundtable discussion meetings in January 2007. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has posted drafts of the standards on our website since 2006 so that educators and others could submit comments and suggestions to the Department using electronic feedback forms and e-mail. We have reviewed all the feedback and made revisions to the updated standards where necessary. At the November 2007 meeting of the Educational Technology Advisory Council, the members voted to endorse the document that we are now presenting to the Board.

Next Steps

I am pleased to present the revised standards to the Board for review and approval. The Department has collaborated with a wide range of representatives from the education, business, and technology sectors to update the standards in order to reflect 21st century skills as well as current ethical guidelines. These revised standards have been subject to extensive review and public comment. Because the document has been well vetted and the revisions are relatively minor, the Board could vote to approve the updated standards at this month's meeting.

With the Board's approval of the standards, the Department will publicize the updated standards and will work with school districts, organizations, and businesses to support professional development for teachers to assist them in integrating the teaching of technology skills into the general curriculum. We will make available federal technology grants for schools to use for professional development and to disseminate promising practices in the teaching and assessment of these standards. The Department will also develop guidelines to help schools and districts incorporate the standards into their technology planning.

If you have any questions about the updated Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards, we would be pleased to respond.

Enclosure:    Updated Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards