Getting parents to pressurise schools to up their game with ICT

According to Becta:

"Schools that integrate technology well across the curriculum and wider school life have reduced absence rates and achieved a higher percentage of A*-C grades at GCSE level."

Assuming this is true, and the reader's first reaction is to ask "compared to what?", it is quite a big leap of faith to conclude that effective integration of technology across the curriculum is the cause of the reduced absence rates or higher achievement levels. Instead, it might be a product of the schools which integrate technology effectively being well led or well managed or having good teachers. (Becta, elaborates more on this issue in various places, and here is a slightly extended summary of its evidence.)

I'd be interested to know what others make of this new feature on Becta's "next generation learning" web site, which enables you to find out if schools near you have the ICT Mark. (The image above shows the paucity of ICT Mark schools near where I live in Sheffield.) Becta implies that having the ICT Mark provides a proxy for how well a school is integrating technology into the curriculum, and urges parents to pressurise schools to get it:

"As your school is not listed you should ask about their ICT plans and whether they plan to work towards the ICT Mark."

Certainly this is a not a standard approach for a Government Agency to be taking, but given Becta's remit "to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology throughout learning" you can see the rationale for it. 

Research comparing the performance of schools with ICT Mark with those without it would be of interest, if any reader is aware of any.

Comments

[Alex Jones]

As part of becoming an accredited ICT Mark consultant I was given presentations showing correlations between ICT Mark achievement and exam results, positive ofsted assessment and other desirable outcomes. The question was asked about causation and the leader of the workshop was honest that these are only correlations.

As far as I am aware there isn't any independent research on this.

I do know that increasing engagement with the self review framework and achievements of the ICT Mark are Becta targets from DCSF. Becta are trying their utmost to sell the benefits of this to schools.

Finally, and self interest having been declared, I do think the self review process is a very valuable one. I have supported and I am now helping several schools go through the review and subsequent actions. The benefits are real. These are that the school becomes better aware of how well it exploits technology and improves it's own planning and development around ICT. Does this lead to better exam results...? Don't know.

[Gareth Davies]

The approach, as you say is not 'standard', but is a reflection by Becta of the move by the DCSF to a 'demand-side driven' strategy to school improvement. They have been talking about this for some time, for example, here's a link to Niel McLean's keynote to the Naace conference back in Feb.