Evidence Based Post #2 – Teacher Standards in Technology

In my last post, I discussed what teachers and schools are doing to meet the requirements of the “new literacies” as discussed in our course text. I talked about the various expectations the government has regarding teacher preparation programs and what districts are doing to make sure that their teachers are adequately prepared to teach these new literacies. My search brought me to the “Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel” assessment, mentioned in an article by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, in regards to the W.T. Cooke Elementary School. I found it interesting that the teachers at this school were required to take this kind of an assessment and wondered if it was mandated anywhere else.
My first path of inquiry was to simply type the phrase into my Google search engine. The results were interesting as it quickly became apparent to me that the only state to have a teacher assessment test called the “Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel” was Virginia. This search lead me to the Frederick County Public Schools webpage. On the Staff page, prominently displayed under Technology Links are two PDF documents. The first is titled Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel Information Sheet and the second is titled Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel Certification Form. The first is simply an informative sheet detailing the specific guidelines for certification in the state of Virginia as it relates to technology. Described in this document are the specific requirements that one seeking certification in Virginia MUST meet in order to get an Initial Certificate. According to this document, one must be proficient in technology to get a certificate in Virginia.
According to the document, any teacher who needs to renew their certificate after July 1, 2007 must meet proficiency in technology. The document goes on to say that the way one could do this is by filling out the certification form on the website, and meeting with a renewal advisor. In order to fill out this form, one must complete competencies, which can be met by taking classes in specific applications, i.e. Word, Windows, etc., or by completing a portfolio. In my estimation, the first choice, class work, was much easier because Frederick County offered free classes.
Going a step further, I decided to peruse the Virginia Board of Education website to see if there was any further information and to see what Virginia required of its Initial certification candidates. When I went to the Teacher licensure page, I scrolled down looking for a reference to technology and found a document entitled, “Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel.” This document was ratified in March 1998! This document sets the standards for what all schools, as well as teacher preparation programs, must do in order to make sure they have compliant teachers. The list of technology standards is fairly short, but the Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel was pretty specific, as Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (8 VAC 20-25-10) states, “
E.Course work in technology shall satisfy the content requirement for licensure renewal for license holders who do not have a master’s degree.
F.School divisions shall incorporate the technology standards into their local technology plans and develop strategies to implement the standards by December 1998.
G.Institutions of higher education shall incorporate technology standards in their approved program requirements and assess students’ demonstrated proficiency of the standards by December 1998.”
Now, it looks as though any educator who does not possess a Master’s degree needs to meet compliance, but those who do, do not have to worry about a technology requirement. It is my understanding that Frederick County Public Schools are simply doing what every other district in Virginia is doing when it requires its teacher to prove proficiency.
My next posting will delve into this further as well as examine what Illinois does in terms of this issue.

Sources Cited:
Frederick County Public Schools. (n.d.). Staff Information Page. In Frederick County Public Schools. Retrieved May 2, 2007, from http://www.frederick.k12.va.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=521&sc_id=1158714920

Frederick County Public Schools. (February 2007). Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel Information Sheet [Data file]. Retrieved May 2, 2007, from http://www.frederick.k12.va.us/education/sctemp/3f0f3da81769c23a98edb0b00f2b0ab7/1178150447/TSIP_InfoSheet_07.pdf

Virginia Board of Education. (1998, March 4). Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel. InVirginia State Board of Education. Retrieved May 2, 2007, from http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Compliance/TeacherED/tech.html