Review of Schools' Operational Funding: ICT Resourcing Framework - Final Report

Executive Summary

Used effectively ICT has the potential to bring about improvements in educational outcomes for all 21st century learners. To achieve this, however, it is vital that ICT becomes better integrated with teaching and learning. Successful integration requires schools to plan and develop ICT systems around the needs of their students, teachers and their organisation (customisation). This needs to be combined with an understanding of effective teaching practice and ongoing access to high quality professional development.

Ensuring all students have the opportunity to become confident and capable users of ICT is also an important goal. The role schools are now playing in preparing students to succeed in an increasingly technological age and "skill driven" labour market is ongoing. In addition to the foundation skills of literacy and numeracy, students now need a wide range of competencies suited to the digital age and the knowledge society.

Further, schools are increasingly using ICT for administrative purposes and to manage their organisations. Also, the ministry is increasingly using ICT to improve business processes and the flow of information between schools and the centre. This has driven-up the demand for ICT across the sector.

Background

The Review of Schools' Operational Funding identified ICT as an area putting pressure on schools in the management of their operations grant. The review also found:

• there are differences in the quality of ICT across the sector
• the management of ICT is an issue for some schools
• the ability to use ICT for educational purposes can be improved upon, and
• schools are under increasing pressure to increase the quantity and quality of the ICT.

The review concluded that in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ICT, and to address the issues identified above and the challenges the sector may face in the future, a forward looking framework for the resourcing of ICT across the schooling sector should be developed.

This report was developed in consultation with a sector advisory group, with representatives from: the New Zealand School Trustees' Association (NZSTA), the Secondary Principals' Association of New Zealand (SPANZ), the New Zealand Principals' Federations (NZPF), the New Zealand Education Institute (NZEI), the New Zealand Secondary Principals Council (NZSPC) and the Post-Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA).

The Proposed Resourcing Framework for ICT

The rationale for the proposed resourcing framework for ICT is to highlight the educational outcomes sought by the government, the contribution ICT can make to these goals and to better align resourcing with the achievement of these goals. Underpinning the development of the resourcing framework and linked to the government's ICT Strategic Framework for Education are six fundamental principles that have been developed in consultation with the ICT Advisory Group:

(a) ICT can be used to bring about improvements in educational outcomes by supporting effective teaching

(b) all New Zealand students should be able to access ICT at school and have the opportunity to become confident and capable users of ICT

(c) schools are, in the first instance, best placed to make resource allocation decisions in regard to their ICT needs

(d) the role of the ministry is to resource schools for an appropriate level of ICT and to oversee the development of efficient and effective ICT systems within schools and across the sector

(e) strategic planning can improve the integration of ICT with teaching and learning and encourage a more sustainable approach to the management of ICT, and

(f) ICT can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration both at the school level and across the system as a whole.

The principles identified above highlight the range of benefits that ICT can generate and help to clarify and delineate the role of schools and the ministry in the provision of ICT across the schooling sector.

Delivery mechanisms

This paper proposes that resourcing for schools' ICT network infrastructure costs be allocated through resourcing for school property infrastructure. Initially this may involve a capital injection to bring all schools up to ministry standards. The network infrastructure is the key to a school's ability to deliver a highly effective ICT resource and is essential for the development of effective ICT systems across the sector.

This paper also proposes that resourcing for user devices such as computers and internet access devices, other ICT equipment, software, technical support, and other operational costs be provided directly to schools `in cash' on an ongoing basis (through the operations grant). The advantage of this approach is that it gives schools greater flexibility and the freedom to utilise this resourcing according to their needs and the priorities of the school.

Schools have a responsibility to develop and maintain an effective ICT infrastructure and the flexibility to plan, design and use ICT to meet the needs of their students, teachers and school administrators.

Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of ICT

By supporting and facilitating good ICT decision making by schools the efficiency and effective use of ICT across the sector can be improved. This paper proposes the following mechanisms:

• Brokering, Guidance and Standards. A brokerage service for ICT items (e.g. hardware, software and technical support) could be created by the ministry that will provide schools with a 'menu' of sector preferred suppliers and an easy on-line mechanism for buying from those suppliers. A foundation model has been developed to inform schools decision making and the setting of standards by the ministry. This model is important in terms of providing effective practice guidelines and ensuring that all schools develop a sustainable ICT infrastructure that is compatible with that of other schools.
• Professional development and leadership. ICT professional development has the potential to bring about significant improvements in the effectiveness of ICT and a better integration of ICT with teaching and learning. The paper proposes that the current contestable funding pool approach to the allocation of resourcing be reviewed to better align this resourcing with the ongoing needs of the sector for professional development.
• Technical management and assistance. Technical assistance is a key issue for many schools and a more efficient means of providing technical support can bring about improvements in the use of ICT. The paper identifies the following mechanisms that could improve the availability of technical support for schools:
  • the use of warranties to cover the useful life of the assets
  • support contracts that include a national of telephone based provision or help desk support
  • remote and onsite support
  • cluster support for classroom environments, and
  • support over the web.

  Roles of the Crown, Ministry and Schools

  	Role of the Crown	Role of the Ministry	Role of Schools
  Network Infrastructure	Fund	Allocate resources and set standards	Develop and maintain an effective ICT infrastructure
  Hardware/Software	Fund	Allocate resources, provide guidance and support local decision making	Design systems to meet the needs of students, teachers and their organisation
  PD and Technical Support	Fund	Provide support and guidance	Ensure an efficient and effective use of ICT

  Key messages from the sector

  The advisory group has identified the following key messages they consider critical to the success of the proposed resourcing framework and necessary to ease some of the pressure on schools finances resulting from the costs of ICT:

  • The proposed resourcing framework for ICT will provide the sector with more support and greater certainty, however, adjustments to the current level of resourcing for ICT are necessary. The advisory group is of the view that there are two areas that need to be addressed:
    • additional resourcing should be used to fund ICT network infrastructure development, and
    • additional funding should be provided to schools `in cash' to meet their localised ICT needs and to relieve some of the pressure on schools operational funding. This should be increased over time. 

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  • The advisory group also notes that flexibility and self management are important features of the proposed resourcing framework. They are supportive of the principle that, in the first instance, schools are best placed to make resource allocation decisions about their ICT needs. They also believe that the ministry has an important role to play in ensuring the development of effective and sustainable ICT networks across the sector by supporting and enabling good local ICT decision making by schools.
  • Centralised purchasing. Opportunities may exist for the ministry to reduce some of the ICT costs faced by schools through centralised bulk purchase arrangements. This paper proposes that this be evaluated on a case by case basis as the degree to which centralised purchasing improves the allocation of resourcing for ICT is dependent upon the extent to which a `one size fits all' approach genuinely reflects and meets the needs of all schools.