The New State of EdTech Leadership 2020 survey report is now available! 

Download your free copy of 2020 results

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Key Findings:

Cybersecurity remains the number one technology priority for IT Leaders, yet the threat is generally underestimated. For the third straight year, cybersecurity has ranked as the top priority. When it comes to maintaining network security, 69% of districts say they are proactive or very proactive - up significantly over last year’s 52%. 

IT Leaders oversee education & administrative technology. Nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents have responsibilities that encompass both educational and administrative technology. This is a notable increase over the prior year’s 63%.

Women are holding fewer IT Leadership positions. The percentage of women in IT Leadership roles has decreased from 36% in 2016 to 25% this year.

Lack of racial and ethnic diversity in IT Leadership persists. A pervasive problem in leadership positions across all public and private institutions, diversity statistics in K-12 are stark.

Staffing for student-facing technology and support is insufficient. More than half of respondents do not feel they have adequate staffing to implement new technology (51%) or to integrate technology into the classroom (57%).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds both promise and peril for IT Leaders. The majority (55%) of IT Leaders anticipate that of the emerging technologies, AI will play a significant or transformational role in teaching and learning over the next five years.

Digital equity remains a priority for the overwhelming majority of districts. Ninety-six (96%) of IT leaders consider digital equity a priority.

The top three challenges persist: budget, professional development, and department silos. These three areas have been vexing IT Leaders since 2017.

IT Leaders make decisions about digital content. A large majority (75%) of IT Leaders are consistently involved in making decisions about digital content, including 17% who are the final decision-maker for their district.

Broadband progress continues. When it comes to districts’ existing infrastructure, more districts are meeting the FCC long-term goal of 1 Gbps per 1,000 students.