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Why CETL Certification Should Be Encouraged in Your School District
As school superintendents and school boards know, 21st century technology is increasingly important for preparing our K-12 students for higher education and ultimately their professional future.
Ensuring that your district uses up-to-date education technology and that your teachers know how to use this technology to improve student achievement is the responsibility of your administration’s education technology professionals. But how do you measure your ed tech staff’s knowledge? How are you assured that these professionals are employing the most current technology tools and policies? Encouraging your education technology leaders to seek CETL certification will help ensure that these professionals are equipped to implement your district's technology goals. We have created an Administrators Guide with tips and information on how the CETL program can help your district achieve its 21st century technology goals.
The CETL certification exam is rigorous and is based on CoSN’s Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO. This exam and the Framework on which it is based, was created by Chief Technology Officers currently practicing in the field. Those who achieve CETL certification must demonstrate that they have mastered the knowledge and skills identified in the Framework. These skills not only include technology-related knowledge; they also include applying this knowledge specifically to the K-12 education environment and demonstrating the leadership, vision, and strategic thinking necessary to bring these skills to your district.
Encouraging CETL certification in your district will
- Demonstrate to your stakeholders that you are committed to the highest standards in your administration
- Show your employees that you are committed to their professional growth
- Help you hire or promote only the most skilled and knowledgeable education technology leaders
- Ensure that your district is keeping current on the latest trends and best practices in education technology
- Help you match the skills of your technology team to the job requirements of those positions
How You Can Use the Framework to Elevate the Skills of Your Technology Staff
CoSN has developed tips for superintendents and other school leaders on how to use the Framework to define the roles of their education technology staff, to chart their professional development needs, and to aid in the hiring and promoting of their CTOs. We have also created a sample CTO job description to help you define the skills your CTOs should have. Finally, we urge Superintendents and other leaders to take our CTO Self-Assessment to ensure you have a clear understanding of the skills needed to bring 21st century learning environments to your district.
How District Leaders Can Elevate Their Technology Knowledge
It's not just the education technology leaders who play a role in transforming our schools into 21st century learning environments. Everyone should be knowledgeable about current trends and best practices in education technology. Are you? CoSN's Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent Initiative offers valuable tools for superintendents to use to build their knowledge, skills, and confidence as effective technology leaders.
The CETL certification was created by CTO professionals. It is not a product-specific certification and it has no ties to a specific vendor. The purpose of the CETL certification program is to identify those with the skills and knowledge needed to bring 21st century learning to your district and to be used as a professional development tool by those seeking to achieve this goal.
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