Dr. Terry Haack

With the daunting task of integrating technology skills into education, administrators are asking for guidance in using educational technology. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation State of Nebraska Challenge Grant for Leadership Development in Technology, "Leadership Talks for Technology Administrators" (LTTA), was accepted and funded in the summer of 2001. The grant's main purpose was to provide professional development in technology use for Nebraska administrators. The specific purpose of this study was to find whether there were differences between the perceptions of principals who have participated in the LTTA (Leadership Talks for Technology Administrators) training and the perceptions of principals who have not yet participated in the LTTA training regarding (1) their own technology skills, (2) their ability to satisfy administrator technology standards, and (3) the ability of a majority of teachers under their supervision to satisfy teacher technology standards. Data were gathered through an on-line survey modified from Pawloski's instrument and an adaptation of the national technology standards for teachers and administrators. The samples for this study were two groups from the Leadership Talks Technology Academy, totaling 335 Nebraska school building principals. The samples included 198 building principals who had received LTTA training and 137 building principals who have applied for but not yet received LTTA training. Two hundred and thirty-one surveys were completed on-line (68%). Statistical tests utilized included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and 2 x 2 ANOVAs. The findings of this study provide evidence that the perceptions of LTTA participants were significantly more positive than the perceptions of non-participants toward their basic technology skills and abilities to satisfy administrative and teaching technology standards. This study did not find that gender or access to technology significantly influenced the perception of principals in their basic technology skills or abilities to satisfy administrative and teaching technology standards.