CoSN Expands Professional Development Program

Ted Richane
The Fratelli Group
202.822.9491
trichane@fratelli.com

Popular “Essential Leadership Skills” Series Addresses Total Cost of Ownership, Data-Driven Decision Making

Washington, DC (November 29, 2005) – The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) today announced the expansion of its Essential Leadership Skills (ELS) series, the highly successful professional development program designed for district level technology decision makers in K-12 school districts.

The program keeps school district chief technology officers (or CTOs) informed of the latest developments in education technology and provides the skills and materials these leaders require to train their staffs and peers. CoSN launched the ELS series in December of 2004 to address the lack of professional development training available for CTOs and other district level technology staff.

“Among the biggest challenges the education technology community faces is providing the necessary tools and training so that our technology professionals can use technology as wisely and efficiently as possible,” said Keith R. Krueger, CoSN CEO. “Many district CTOs with education backgrounds lack valuable business skills, while others who come from the business and technology communities don’t have the valuable experience of working in the K-12 education environment. The ELS series is successfully addressing the range of essential skills the CTO job requires.”

The ELS “tracks” are tied to CoSN’s leadership initiatives, each exploring topic areas critical to education technology. The program’s first two tracks, Data-Driven Decision Making: Vision to Know and Do and Smart Budgeting with Total Cost of Ownership, have received very positive feedback from CoSN members.

The next planned track in the series, Accessible Technologies for All Students, will demonstrate how education technology can be used to enhance and facilitate learning for all students – including those with disabilities and other traditionally underserved student populations.

Each track includes a free executive summary (available at www.cosn.org/resources/essential/), a 25-30 page backgrounder book, a “train the trainer workshop” presentation and notes on CD that can be licensed for presentation at the state or district level, and a participant workbook for use with the CD presentation. The backgrounder books are written to be instructive not only for school technology leaders, but also for other stakeholders involved in the entire range of technology decisions, making the pieces valuable to superintendents, school board members, principals, school purchasing officials, curriculum coordinators, media specialists, building-level technology coordinators and technology-savvy teachers.

“Our hope is that our members will use this resource to not only improve the use of education technology in their own districts, but to share the lessons learned with peers around the country,” added Krueger. “We are very excited about this program’s potential.”

The series also includes stand-alone backgrounder books on several topics. For more information about the CoSN’s Essential Leadership Skills series, see www.cosn.org/resources/essential/ or contact Elizabeth Weaver Engel at elizabeth@cosn.org or 866.267.8747 x120. Materials are available for purchase through CoSN's online catalog.

About the Consortium for School Networking
Founded in 1992, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a national non-profit organization, is the premier voice in education technology leadership. CoSN’s mission is to serve as the national organization for K-12 technology leaders who use technology strategically to improve learning.

CoSN leadership initiatives include: Accessible Technologies for All Students (www.accessibletech4all.org); Cyber Security for the Digital District (www.securedistrict.org); Data-Driven Decision Making (www.3d2know.org); Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse (www.safewiredschools.org); Taking Total Cost of Ownership to the Classroom (www.classroomtco.org); and the development of the Council of School District Chief Technology Officers (CTO Council).

Our membership includes a unique blend of technology leaders from the public and private sectors. Our audience includes key technology leaders (often called Chief Technology Officers—CTOs) in leading-edge states and districts, as well as those technology leaders who wish to accelerate their districts’ or states’ systemic technology use. Visit www.cosn.org or phone 866.267.8747 to find out more about CoSN’s programs and activities supporting leadership development to ensure that information technology has a direct and positive impact on student learning in elementary and secondary schools.