Budget & Resources – Envisioning
(40-59%)
Element: Efficiency and Cost Savings
Description: Innovative funding for digital learning leverages technologies to improve teaching and learning as well as to increase efficiency and cost savings. A cross-functional District budget development team is formed that is composed of District leaders, key stakeholders, and subject matter experts who collectively represent the District’s interests. This team employs strategies for calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) for all technology resources; focusing on learning-enabling technology, digital resources and instructional practice.
Possible Next Step: Innovative, proven practice examples, funding structures and budget scenarios inform District leadership and budget development efforts. The District’s creates a vision for transformational and sustainable funding for a high performing and effective digital learning environment.
Element: Alignment to District and School Plans
Description: Priorities for budget and resources are clearly linked to district- and building-level strategic and tactical plans and to continuous improvement goals. All expenditures must be justified as supportive of these plans. Innovative programs are funded conditionally upon their alignment to the district’s vision and mission.
Possible Next Step: District leaders and budget development teams analyze best practice funding structures and scenarios to help define the District’s vision for a sustainable digital learning environment. They explicitly link funding requirements to strategic and tactical plans. The District shares its vision for sustaining a digital learning environment with stakeholders. They communicate logic and best practice examples in order to broaden support.
Element: Consistent Funding Streams
Description: The District has consistent and flexible funding that enables equitable access to optimal learning environments. Budgets for technology-enabled learning tools and resources are addressed in short and long-term fiscal plans. Funding sources are identified in the District’s annual maintenance and operation budgets with minimal reliance on grants or other temporary sources. Funding for digital learning is integrated across multiple budget areas where appropriate.
Possible Next Step: District leaders analyze current budgeting strategies relevant to technology-enabled learning tools, resources and instructional practice. This would include budgeting for broadband, network infrastructure, hardware, technical support, instructional content, and professional learning. A cross-functional budget team uses the analyses of innovative and best practice examples and practices to envision and propose potential transformational funding strategies and scenarios.
Element: Learning Return on Investment
Description: All metrics for review of budget priorities and cost-efficiency are based on their demonstrated relationship to student learning goals. District leaders have strategies and tools for measuring Return On Investment (ROI) in digital learning; focusing on learning-enabling technologies, resources, instructional practice and student learning.
Possible Next Step: District leaders propose metrics and a methodology that demonstrate budget priorities for digital learning that relate to student learning goals.