| The goal of this study was to focus on information technology in elementary and secondary schools by critically reviewing the research literature concerning these questions, using the results to construct a framework for evaluating the adoption, application and assessment of the use of information technology in school districts, and utilizing the framework to conduct a comparative study of three school districts, on public, one private, one parochial, in metropolitan New Castle County, Delaware.;Three types of comparisons are undertaken to assess the procedures for policy formulation, application and evaluation within districts. What is done in districts is compared with the procedures they set up themselves to carry out these functions, the procedures of the districts are compared in relation to one another, and the procedures are compared with criteria derived from the literature. The purpose of the comparative analysis is to identify those aspects of policy that might be generally applicable among schools. The intent of the undertaking was to critically consider policy making and its evaluation rather than to assess the actual effects of the technology on the performance of the students.;Some conclusions. There is no single policy that is best for all situations. Policy must evolve with changing conditions and be flexible enough to allow this evolution.;Formal plans are often straight jackets to creative thinking about technology. Non-hierarchical, non-formal processes for policy creation, application and evaluation can be more appropriate as well as more effective than their opposite.;It is important to identify and understand the interaction of all schools within a population center. Private and parochial schools are potential resources and innovators in information technology and must be included in research and analysis.;When the role of the computer in the school changes, the methods and goals by which it is evaluated must change. Informal evaluation can be as accurate a measure of success or failure as formal evaluation.;When policies and assessments concerning information technology are made within processes that place importance on non-hierarchical and informal dimensions the quality of the output is likely to be enhanced. |
