Connecting Technology with Student Achievement: The Use of Technology by Blue Ribbon School Principals

The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions and technology usage of K-12 school principals of Blue Ribbon Schools to identify technological characteristics of successful school leaders. Items on the questionnaire were aligned with the International Society of Technology Education National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for School Administrators. The researchers sent questionnaires to 500 principals throughout the United States with a return rate of nearly 37%. Pearson and Spearman correlations were conducted to determine the level of agreement with NETS-A Standards of Blue Ribbon School Principals and if there was a relationship between use of technology and NETS-A Standards. Independent-sample t-tests were also conducted to determine if the levels of agreement with NETS-A Standards differed by gender. Results of this study indicated that there is evidence to support high levels of agreement of Blue Ribbon School Principals with the NETS-A Standards with females reporting higher levels of agreement then males, and the need for professional development to support technology integration