The following is a summary of the results of the 2000 Agnew Associates Survey on Computer and Internet Usage in Our Schools. If you were a participant, Agnew Associates thanks you for taking the time to provide this information. If you did not receive a copy of this questionnaire and would like to participate in our next survey, or if you have any questions or comments about the results, please contact Reese Wright: phone: (806) 799-0753, fax: (806) 799-2014, or e-mail rwright@agnewassociates.com.

Survey Highlights

Of the survey respondents, 42% are principals, 19% are superintendents, 17% are technology/IT directors, 4% are assistant superintendents, 3% are computer teachers, 8% are "Other," including assistant principals, non-computer teachers, and secretaries, and 7% did not provide their title.

• 92% of respondents provide their students with Internet access via computer labs.

• 91% of schools teach basic skills such as typing and word processing, and 59% go beyond that to teach programming and web design.

• 86% of survey participants expect schools’ technology budgets to increase over the next three to five years, and 33% expect these budgets to skyrocket.

• Three-quarters of participants report that a lack of funding and/or government support is preventing them from acquiring more computer equipment or offering additional computer courses. Additionally, nearly a quarter of respondents feel that inadequate facilities infrastructure is holding them back.

1. Which of the following does your school currently provide?

• 92% of respondents say that their school provides computer labs with Internet access.
• Over 87% of respondents are incorporating computers into the classroom as well¾ whether via networked computers in classes or wireless technology, which allows students to use laptops in class.
• 19% of respondents have enabled teachers and students to use school resources outside of campus via remote access to the school’s network.

(Percentages for this question total more than 100 because some respondents list multiple answers.)

• 59% of respondents teach basic skills and advanced courses such as programming and web design.
• 32% teach only basic skills such as typing and word processing.
• 9% offer no formal courses at all, although most of those respondents (8% of the total) provide computer labs.

• 61% of respondents say that their students mainly rely on word processing and other software, but don’t need the computer to complete their assignments.
• 33% say that their students can’t live without their computers.
• 5% say that their students mainly use pen and paper (although this number also included elementary and middle schools).

• 55% of respondents expect schools’ technology budgets to increase, but only moderately.
• 31% expect them to skyrocket.
• 11% expect schools’ technology budgets to remain the same.
• 2% of respondents expect to see technology budgets decrease in the next three to five years.

• Three-quarters (75%) of respondents indicate that a lack of funding and/or government support is preventing their school from acquiring more equipment or offering more computer courses.
• 23% are held back by an inadequate facilities infrastructure, such as inadequate electrical wiring or HVAC systems.
• Insufficient IT knowledge or experience (including a lack of IT staff members) is holding back 19% of respondents.
• 13% of respondents face no impediments to their computer curriculum.
• 7% of respondents are held back by the inability to install equipment or develop courses¾ due to a lack of available facilities space or available class time.

• 70% of respondents expect to see a rise in increased wireless technology in the classroom, allowing students to bring laptops to class.
• 65% expect to see increased remote access capabilities for faculty.
• 56% expect to see an increase in remote access for students.
• 56% feel that an increase in computers and/or computer labs will be one of the fastest-growing trends.
• 54% see increased Internet access as a fast-growing trend.
• 52% expect to see a greater increase in the use of advanced software programs at the educational level.
• 48% feel that remote teaching of classes will be one of the fastest-growing trends in the next few years.