The 1997 Missouri School District Computing Census
OVERVIEW OF CENSUS METHODOLOGY
Introduction: The 1997 Missouri Census of Elementary and Secondary Education Computing gathered essential baseline information about instructional computing and the Internet among Missouri public schools. A "census" methodology was used to gather information from all Missouri School Districts and schools. Often survey projects draw inferences about a population by measuring the characteristics of a relatively small, usually random, sample of the larger population. However, Missouri School Districts have very diverse characteristics and also have widely different levels of technology. To establish definitive baseline information every district and every school was enumerated and data sought from all of them--a census.
Response Rate Analysis: High response rates were achieved and the resulting information is the most definitive available. Comparative analysis of the districts and schools, controlling for enrollment size, type of school, and geographic location (see the attached tables and charts), included in the census reveal that they almost perfectly match the characteristics of all Missouri School Districts. A review of the relatively few non-responding districts ind icates that they are predominately small school districts containing only elementary schools--elementary school districts. The schools not responding to the Building Computing and Instruction Census included somewhat more inner-city buildings than the population overall, however, the census count is substantially similar to population characteristics from the Department's "Core Data" system.
Summary of the Questionnaires: There are three questionnaires.
The District Computing Questionnaire assesses the overall extent of Internet networking at each Missouri school district. Completed by district level technology specialists, ninety-six (96) percent of Missouri Districts (504 out of 525) are included in the census.
The Building Computing Questionnaire assesses the level of Internet connectivity for each building. Completed by building level staff with technology responsibilities, ninety-seven (97) percent of Missouri schools (2,132 out of 2200) are included in the census.
The Building Instruction and Computing Questionnaire assesses the extent to which students and teachers have access to the Internet, the extent to which they use it for instruction and the extent to which they think it benefits instruction in their school. Completed by building level instructional leaders, 85 percent of Missouri schools (1,871 out of 2,200) are included in the census.
Design, Distribution and Follow-up
In late 1996 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Staff, MOREnet Staff, and OSEDA staff collaborated in the design of the census questionnaires. Initial versions were pilot tested among a small group of technology coordinators and teachers. Following revisions, final formats were approved. In February 1997, Missouri School Districts were informed of the forthcoming technology census by letters from Commissioner of Education, Dr. Robert Bartman. A description of the scope and purposes of the census was included in the Commissioner's Monthly Newsletter. In February 1997, questionnaires were mailed by OSEDA to all Missouri School Superintendents along with detailed instructions for the identification of staff respondents. Between February and July an extensive follow-up was conducted by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff and by OSEDA staff. Table A1 includes a chronology of these follow-up efforts. On June 30th, the census database was closed for processing.
REVIEW OF QUESTIONNAIRES
The Building Computing Questionnaire The main purpose of the Building Computing Questionnaire is to record the number of computers by level of Internet connectivity and by educational setting within each school. Additionally, the questionnaire gathers information about operating systems, Internet connection speeds, Internet provider, Local Area Networks, and World Wide Web development. Finally, the questionnaire gathers estimates of the number of additional classrooms that remain to be wired for the entire building to have network access to the Internet, and the number of additional computers needed to provide at least one Internet accessible computer in every classroom.
The questionnaire is designed for completion by a district staff member with knowledge of the school's computing and networking environment. The District central office selected these staff members for each school. The relation between level of Internet connectivity and educational setting is elaborated below. A copy of the Building Computing Census is attached.
Level of Internet Connectivity
The Total Number of Computers and Number of Internet Capable Computers
The first issue in assessing the level of Internet connectivity within a school is to discern the total number of computers in the building and the subset of the total that are "Internet capable." That is, there is a minimum level of hardware and software required to achieve an adequate connection to the Internet. The census adopted the MOREnet standard for "Internet Capable Computers" used at the onset of Project Connect:
PC's with at least a 386 processor with at least 8 meg of memory running Windows, or Mac's with at least a 68030 processor with at least 8 meg of memory
Type of Internet Connectivity
Among the subset of the school's computers that are Internet capable, the questionnaire records the number that have no Internet connectivity, the number that have dial-up only connectivity, and the number that have connectivity via a network with a dedicated phone line.
Educational Setting
It is important for instructional and technical planning to understand the distribution of computers by level of Internet connectivity by setting within each school. Schools with Internet capable computers in classrooms have much greater opportunities for instructional impacts than schools with computers located only in administrative areas or computer labs. Thus, the questionnaire uses a series of tables to record the number of computers by educational setting and then elaborates the level of Internet Connectivity for each setting. The settings include: Administrative/Business Offices, Computer Labs, Classrooms, Library/Media Centers, Vocational Education or Technical Training Areas, or Other Settings.
The District Computing Survey
The main purpose of the District Computing Survey is to summarize the overall level of network development in the District. The core item on the questionnaire records the number of Internet and E-mail accounts provided by types of users including teachers, students, administrators, patrons, parents, and others. The questionnaire also records other indicators of network development including the number of district staff supporting instructional telecommunications or computing, Wide Area Network development, the number of Local Area Networks (LAN), LAN operating systems. The questionnaire also asks if the district has adopted a technology plan and an acceptable use policy. It also asks if the district has established a World Wide Web page. Finally, the questionnaire poses an open-ended question about unmet technology support needs.
The District Computing Questionnaire is designed for completion by a district staff member with knowledge of the district's overall computing and networking environment--usually the "technology coordinator." The District central office selected this respondent. A copy of the District Computing Questionnaire is attached.
The Building Instruction and Computing Questionnaire
The main purpose of the Building Instruction and Computing Questionnaire is to record the extent to which students and teachers have access to the Internet, the extent to which they use it for instruction, and the extent to which they think it benefits instruction in their school. A copy of the Building Instruction and Computing Questionnaire is attached.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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