Special Report

New Roles for a New Era

Chief Academic Officers & Chief Technology Officers
March 28, 2016
Articles in this special report explore the evolving roles of chief academic officers and chief technology officers in five school systems in California, Georgia, Iowa, Oregon, and New York.
  • Fourth grade students use Chromebooks during science class at Beaverton Acres Elementary School. The district is in the midst of a technology upgrade that includes a 1-to-1 device rollout.
    Fourth grade students use Chromebooks during science class at Beaverton Acres Elementary School. The district is in the midst of a technology upgrade that includes a 1-to-1 device rollout.
    NashCO for Education Week
    IT Infrastructure & Management $680 Million Project Spurs Collaboration in Ore. District
    When voters approved a huge technology project in Beaverton schools, it was clear that a shift was needed in the district's tech and instruction departments.
    Michelle R. Davis, March 28, 2016
    5 min read
    Science teacher Corey Skinner, second from left, works with three students at the Rochester International Academy, from left to right: Saleh Saif, Abdiaziz Mahad, and Ali Al-Mansoor. Skinner worked on the district’s 1-to-1 initiative.
    Science teacher Corey Skinner, second from left, works with three students at the Rochester International Academy, from left to right: Saleh Saif, Abdiaziz Mahad, and Ali Al-Mansoor. Skinner worked on the district’s 1-to-1 initiative.
    Mike Bradley for Education Week
    IT Infrastructure & Management Academic, Tech Staff Team Up for Rochester's 1-to-1 Rollout
    Years of planning have gone into the upstate New York district’s evolving efforts to put computers into the hands of nearly every student.
    Denisa R. Superville, March 28, 2016
    7 min read
    Adam Carter, far right, is the chief academic officer of Summit Public Schools, a network of 10 charters, including this one, Everest Public High School in Redwood City, Calif. He is a central figure in Summit’s embrace of ed tech and personalized learning.
    Adam Carter, far right, is the chief academic officer of Summit Public Schools, a network of 10 charters, including this one, Everest Public High School in Redwood City, Calif. He is a central figure in Summit’s embrace of ed tech and personalized learning.
    Preston Gannaway/GRAIN for Education Week
    IT Infrastructure & Management Tech 'Convert' Helps Head Network's Personalized Learning Push
    Despite his low-tech background, Summit Public Schools' CAO is central to the charter network's move toward customized student learning.
    Benjamin Herold, March 28, 2016
    7 min read
    Matt Townsley sets the budget for both technology and instruction in the Solon, Iowa, school district, which, he said, is “a little dictator-like” but “nice.”
    Matt Townsley sets the budget for both technology and instruction in the Solon, Iowa, school district, which, he said, is “a little dictator-like” but “nice.”
    Mike Bradley for Education Week
    IT Infrastructure & Management Iowa Academic Chief Plays Dual Role
    When the district’s chief technology and chief academic officers are one person, bureaucratic delays aren’t an issue.
    Jaclyn Zubrzycki, March 28, 2016
    7 min read
    IT Infrastructure & Management CAOs and CTOs Ramp Up on Collaboration
    In many K-12 systems, the jobs of chief academic officers and chief technology officers are increasingly intertwined as technology has become essential to teaching and learning.
    Sean Cavanagh, March 28, 2016
    7 min read
    Gwinnett County students in an Advanced Placement literature class at Lanier High School use an eCLass quiz widget called Kahoot that is run on a laptop. They use their wireless phones to answer the quiz questions.
    Gwinnett County students in an Advanced Placement literature class at Lanier High School use an eCLass quiz widget called Kahoot that is run on a laptop. They use their wireless phones to answer the quiz questions.
    Dustin Thomas Chambers for Education Week
    Data Georgia District Puts Data Analytics to Work
    A long-running collaboration in Gwinnett County schools is pushing to make the most out of predictive analytics.
    Liana Loewus, March 28, 2016
    7 min read