Skills Framework

	CoSN's School District Chief Technology Officers' (CTO) Council What it Takes: Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO School District CTOs: Lifelong Learners?

1. Leadership and Vision

Works closely with the executive cabinet and stakeholders to create a vision for how technology will support the district's strategic goals.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Ability to establish and lead governance committees and facilitate the process of priority-setting and decision-making.
• Interpersonal skills and a willingness to work closely with all constituents.
• Ability to adapt known technologies to new uses and envision natural relationships between emerging technology resources and the education process.
• Big-picture understanding of school organization, of curriculum and of the issues of greatest importance to teaching and learning.
• Understanding of the change process and effective approaches to facilitating change.

2. Planning and Budgeting

Works with the instructional and technical teams to identify the steps needed to meet strategic goals and a budget that takes into account the total cost of implementing technology solutions.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Ability to think strategically, manage projects, and lead the district from vision to effective delivery of services.
• Ability to set practical and realistic timelines for technology implementation.
• Understanding of the steps and financial tools involved in the budgeting process.
• Strong working knowledge of the concept of total cost of ownership and the ability to translate that into realistic budgets.
• Understanding of the impact and need for technology throughout the enterprise - and the relationship between curriculum, instruction and technology in providing a teaching and learning environment.

3. Team Building and Staffing

Creates and supports cross-functional teams for decision-making, technology support, professional development, and other aspects of the district's technology program.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Strong leadership skills and the ability to empower others to assume leadership roles.
• Skills at facilitating team building activities, modeling examples of trust between department members, and utilizing quality improvement tools for decision-making.
• Ability to identify strengths and weaknesses and make effective hiring decisions.
• Strong communication skills and a commitment to keeping all parties informed about technology progress and choices.

4. Systems Management

Directs, coordinates, and ensures the implementation of all tasks related to: the development of technical specifications and infrastructure decisions; the selection, purchasing, installation and maintenance of IT; and the integration of technology into every facet of operations.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Knowledge and expertise about infrastructure and performance standards for all aspects of the IT system.
• Strong technical background accompanied by a personal commitment to ongoing research and learning.
• Ability and willingness to hire skilled experts to support and oversee different aspects of the IT program.
• Ability to make purchasing and implementation decisions based on needs of the total school system - and on an understanding of the full life cycle of technology purchases.

5. Information Management

Oversees the establishment and maintenance of systems and tools for gathering, mining, integrating and reporting data in usable and meaningful ways.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Understanding of data-driven decision making and the role information needs to play in shaping and supporting a district's educational programs.
• Understanding of techniques and tools for data gathering, warehousing, and analysis - including a knowledge of available applications and the options for customizing them or building new tools in-house.
• Knowledge of data-related industry standards (eg., SIF and SCORM) and of governmental mandates (e.g. NCLB or IDEA) with information reporting requirements.
• Ability to assess and respond to the needs and concerns of a variety of knowledge workers.

6. Business Leadership

Serves as a strong business leader who guides purchasing decisions, assists in determining the "return on investment" for all technology implementations, and fosters good relationships with vendors, potential funders, and other key groups.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Comfort managing a budget, making purchasing decisions, and handling the financial aspects of running an IT business.
• Knowledge about market rates for technology equipment and services and the issues that determine ROI.
• Ability to direct, manage, and negotiate with vendors and business partners.
• Strong communication skills, the ability to build partnerships and articulate a vision for the district's technology program.

7. Education and Training

Budgets, plans for and coordinates on-going, purposeful professional development for all staff using new technologies.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Current understanding of both technical and educational best practices and the appropriate uses of technology to support high-caliber, rigorous student work.
• Understanding of the key elements contributing to successful professional development.
• Awareness of technology-related professional growth needs of all staff members - including administrators and support staff - and the ability to respond to these needs, including providing "just in time" opportunities to remain current on technical content.
• Ability to plan professional development activities that help teachers meet a wide range of instructional goals for the district with help from interactive technologies.

8. Ethics and Policies

The CTO Code of Ethics oversees the creation, implementation and enforcement of policies and educational programs related to the social, legal and ethical issues involved in technology use throughout the district.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Knowledge about laws and legal issues related to copyright, privacy, filtering and other aspects of school technology use.
• Awareness of other relevant issues including safety, technology-related health concerns and guidelines for fair and ethical implementation of technology.
• Experience with AUP development and enforcement.
• Commitment to modeling responsible technology use and working closely with all constituents.

9. Communication Systems

Directs and coordinates the use of e-mail, district web sites, voicemail systems and other forms of communication technology to facilitate decision-making, dialog and effective communication with the community and other key stakeholders.

Knowledge or Skills Required:

• Working knowledge of various communication tools - including purchasing options and technical issues related to implementation.
• Understanding of web design and support issues and the staffing needed to keep district and school sites updated and operational.
• Knowledge about converging technologies and new options for enhancing communication through technology.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to provide leadership to stakeholders in the utilization of communication resources.