Since the adoption of the first State Technology Plan in 1995, Maryland has made a commitment to improving student learning through the effective and efficient use of technology in all classrooms. On April 24, 2007, the State Board of Education accepted an updated Maryland Educational Technology Plan. This update represents the third revision to the Plan, which guides the State's strategic direction related to educational technology.

Over the past 10 years, a substantial financial investment of over $1 billion has been made by the State, local school systems, the federal government and the private sector to enable Maryland to fulfill its commitment to improve learning with technology. This summary represents the 10th in a series of annual reports that highlight not only our progress, but also specific and important gaps that remain to be addressed. The data provided in this summary are important both for what they show about the capacity of Maryland students and teachers to access technology-based resources, and for what they reveal about the way that students and teachers experience technology use in their day-to-day learning.

Technology Infrastructure

The data confirms that significant progress has been made in establishing a strong technology infrastructure. With few exceptions, schools possess a sufficient number of computers and almost all classrooms are connected to the Internet. Statewide, the student-to-computer ratio now stands at 3.4:1 (just over 3 students for every computer available for classroom use), which is better than the planned target of a 5:1 ratio. 97% of all classrooms statewide now possess Internet connectivity.

Teacher Knowledge and Skills

With regard to teacher knowledge and skills related to the effective use and integration of technology into the curriculum, the data do not show progress consistent with the Plan’s objectives. Approximately 76% of teachers rate themselves at an Intermediate skill level or higher on the use and integration of technology, continuing to fall short of the Plan’s target of 100% of teachers with these capabilities.

Student, Teacher and Administrative Use of Technology

The primary objective of our investment of resources in technology is improved student learning, which can only be achieved by the effective use of the technology tools within the curriculum and in daily classroom instruction. Unfortunately, data from this report indicate that the technology in our schools is not being used as frequently, nor as effectively, as outlined in the State’s Strategic Plan. This is particularly true in the more complex uses of technology that experts suggest should exercise higher-order critical thinking skills that will improve student problem solving skills. The trend data suggest little or no improvement in these areas year-over-year.

For some of the most basic uses of technology such as “plan, draft, proofread, revise and publish written text” and “gather information/data from a variety of sources (e.g. via Internet, World Wide Web, Online services, CD-ROM-based reference software)”, the 2007 data show that schools report the majority of students performing these tasks on a regular basis. . With regard to the more important and complex uses of technology, the 2007 data show that schools report: only 30% of their students use technology to “perform measurements and collect data from investigations or lab experiments” regularly and 39% of students use technology to “manipulate, analyze and interpret information” regularly. Data in these two important activities are essentially unchanged from the 2006 report.

The current data show that teacher and administrator use of technology for basic activities is pervasive in our schools. As an example, 99% of teachers and administrators now use email to communicate with staff and colleagues regularly. Progress continues to be made in some of the more complex uses of technology, particularly in the areas of “maintaining data on students (e.g. via a student information system)”; “accessing curriculum/school improvement material from the Internet”; and “communicating with parents and guardians of students.”

In summary, the data suggest that technology tools are being used effectively for some applications, for example to improve communications and collect information and data. However, technology is not being used as effectively for higher level, analytical and problem-solving activities, where research and experts agree that education can derive the most compelling benefits for improved learning.

The Digital Divide

Efforts to bridge the digital divide continue in Maryland; nevertheless, challenges remain. Significant progress has been made regarding student-to-computer ratio with minimal variance evident between high and low poverty schools. In addition, nearly 100% of classrooms statewide are connected to the Internet.. Schools with the highest poverty remain below average in teacher knowledge and skills and student and administrator use of technology, however.

As in years past, the digital divide in student use is of most concern. Data show that, in general, the higher the poverty level of schools, the less frequently technology is used for tasks that require higher-level thinking and meaningful application of knowledge and skills. The difference is striking when one looks at the percentage of schools reporting that their students regularly* use technology to:

	Low Poverty	High Poverty
Draft, revise, and publish writing	91%	62%
Gather information from the Internet	97%	82%
Communicate or report information	79%	47%
Manipulate, analyze or interpret data	49%	22%
Perform measurements and gather data	36%	22%

* Regularly is defined as every day or almost every day or a few times per month

Given research that links improved student learning with these uses of technology, it is imperative to eliminate this gap.

Future Plans

The updated Educational Technology Plan includes additional targets and recommended actions to address deficiencies outlined in this report. With the implementation of this plan, it is anticipated that the state will move forward in its educational technology efforts at an accelerated rate. The new plan has incorporated Maryland Business Roundtable for Education recommendations made since the last plan was published and has as its foundation the student, teacher and administrator technology standards that are now in place.