CoSN Strategic Plan for Members

2016 – 2019 Strategic Plan
For Members

Imagine the opportunities and experiences that today’s students will have as adults: unprecedented
access to information, myriad new ways to express their ideas, effortless global connectivity—and
personal pursuits and professions that we can’t even envision.
In order to prepare students for this radically different future, education must change. Technology is an
essential part of this transformation, enabling and accelerating the kind of personalized, responsive and
forward-looking teaching and learning that will foster 21st century competencies. Today’s teachers and
learners can tap into an unprecedented array of resources and opportunities, thanks in large measure to
technologies which provide access to real-world data, a global library of primary sources, virtual
collaboration with expert and peers, blended learning environments, new ways to demonstrate and
share knowledge, and more.
Education technology leaders are critical catalysts for this transformation. These leaders must design
and sustain reliable and coherent infrastructure that accommodates a wide array of digital content and
tools—increasingly selected by teachers and students themselves—and that anticipates next-generation
technologies as well. They must develop sound policies and procedures for optimal and responsible uses
of these technologies. They must build support within their districts and communities for education
technology and the kinds of transformative teaching and learning that it enables, and they must work to
ensure equitable access to technology-rich learning experiences for all students, inside and outside the
classroom.
CoSN is the only national professional association dedicated exclusively to the education
technology leaders who are working to transform learning.

Our Vision

We envision a world where the unique potential of individual learners is fully realized and where
education is transformed and improved through visionary, strategic technology leadership.

Our Mission

CoSN empowers educational leaders to leverage technology to create and grow engaging learning
environments.

Our Services

CoSN provides diverse professional advancement opportunities, high-quality resources, an engaged
community of peers, and essential, timely information about developments in education technology.

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Our Core Beliefs

• Technology is a critical tool to personalize learning.
• Technological fluency allows children to be prepared for the world of today and tomorrow.
• Equitable and ubiquitous access to technology is a necessity.
• Technology enables innovation in our educational systems, which results in greater efficiencies

and productivity.
• Global connections are vital to transforming the education process and improving learning.
• The primary challenge we face in using technology effectively is human.
• Technology will only transform learning with strong leadership and vision.

Our Goals for 2016-2019 are structured around the individual skills and
supportive environment necessary for success, the policy arena and the internal
capacity of CoSN to serve its members.

1. ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Build the essential technology skills that all education leaders will need to be
successful.

2. FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Identify and promote fundamental requirements for the
equitable and effective use of technology in next-generation learning environments.

3. ADVOCACY: Advance policies that provide sustainable and substantial investment in the
technology to power next-generation learning environments.

4. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY: Expand CoSN’s capacity to provide thought leadership and
exemplary service to chapters and members.

1. ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Build the essential technology skills that all education leaders will need to be
successful. Technology can transform learning, but only with strong leadership and vision. Accordingly,
CoSN developed a Framework of Essential Skills which identifies 10 skill areas and several core values
that CTOs and other district leaders need in order to use technology to improve learning. Our Certified
Education Technology Leader (CETL) initiative builds upon this Framework, engaging CTOs and other
education technology leaders in rigorous and reflective professional learning, culminating in a
prestigious and widely recognized professional credential.

During the next three years, CoSN will deepen and extend its commitment to leadership development
and professional learning in the following ways:

1a. Promote CETL certification as the nationally-adopted gold standard for senior technology leaders.

1b. Provide a coherent and comprehensive array of best-in-class professional learning opportunities and
resources building on the Framework of Essential Skills. This will include differentiated resources for
leaders in diverse settings ( e.g. smaller districts, rural, urban, etc), as well as professional learning
opportunities and resources that focus on effective communication so that CTOs can promote
understanding and build support for the use of technology.

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1c. Develop and launch resources and programs to foster and support a new generation of district
leaders.
1d. Facilitate rich peer-to-peer interactions and collaboration in face-to-face, virtual, and blended
settings.
1e. Align the Framework of Essential Skills with a new framework of fundamental requirements (see #2
below).

2. FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Identify and promote fundamental requirements for the
equitable and effective use of technology in next-generation learning environments. Certain
fundamental conditions must be in place if CTOs and other education leaders—even those who
demonstrate mastery of the competencies defined in the Framework of Essential Skills—are to truly
optimize the use of technology in their schools and districts. These fundamental requirements include
collaborative and knowledgeable district and state leadership; adequate, equitable and sustainable
resources; well-designed and forward-looking infrastructure; engaged and well-informed parents and
community members; and school culture that is focused on deeper, more personalized and more
seamless learning experiences.
During the next three years, CoSN will promote these requirements by doing the following:
2a. Develop a framework of fundamental requirements that identifies and describes the factors that
enable effective and transformative uses of technology. This framework will also articulate how the
fundamentals for systemic change are cultivated and sustained by CTOs and other leaders through the
competencies and values identified in the Framework of Essential Skills.
2b. Evaluate how existing CoSN reports, toolkits and other resources address each of the fundamental
requirements and identify gaps in coverage. We’ll address gaps through strategic partnerships with
other national organizations and/or through original content and program development.
2c. Create and disseminate benchmarks, models, case studies, best practices and toolkits that CTOs and
other education leaders can use to improve conditions in their districts. These will include differentiated
implementation guidance for leaders in diverse settings, particularly for smaller districts.
2d. Develop and launch a program designed to help leaders assess and improve conditions in their
school systems.
2e. Create future-ready recommendations about the flexible, reliable and innovative infrastructure that
next-generation learning environments will require.
2f. Emphasize equitable access to technology—including connectivity, devices, tools and digital
content—as a fundamental requirement enabling seamless and powerful “everywhere, anytime”
learning. We believe that equal educational opportunity in today’s digital era demands equitable and
ubiquitous access inside and outside of school.

3. ADVOCACY: Advance policies that provide sustainable and substantial investment in the
technology to power next-generation learning environments. Since our inception, we’ve been a strong

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and respected voice in federal policy development and implementation. We’ve influenced Congress and
the administration on a range of issues including ESEA reauthorization, E-rate implementation, privacy
legislation and annual appropriations, and we’ll continue to be an advocate on these and other
emerging topics.
During the next three years, CoSN will strengthen its advocacy work in the following ways:
3a. Maximize resources and heighten collective impact by partnering with other national organizations
that share our policy priorities.
3b. Develop resources that educate our members and the general public about important policy issues
and calls to action that mobilize them as advocates.
3c. Create tools and resources to aid chapters in advocacy at the state level.
3d. Provide trusted, forward-looking thought leadership by offering credible, unbiased analysis of
emerging technologies and policy issues.

4. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY: Expand CoSN’s capacity to provide thought leadership and
exemplary service to chapters and members. We’re proud of our reputation for outstanding service to
our members, effective advocacy on their behalf, and trusted thought leadership within our industry.
We need to sustain and grow our internal capacity in order to become better at the work we do, meet
our strategic goals and drive change at the national, local and state levels.
CoSN chapters are critical to this effort. Chapters are uniquely positioned to respond to and influence
powerful local and regional dynamics—dynamics that quite often dictate the conditions enabling
transformative uses of technology. Our goal is to strengthen chapters through organizational capacity-
building, furnishing high-quality resources and enabling opportunities that would be difficult for each
chapter to assume on its own.
During the next three years, CoSN will build organizational capacity in the following ways:
4a. Support and strengthen the important work of chapters by developing more comprehensive start-up
assistance, facilitating stronger peer-to-peer connections among chapter leaders, and defining effective
models to retain and support larger, more mature chapters.
4b. Expand our efforts to recruit, support and recognize a diverse and committed community of active
volunteers whose work significantly benefits the national organization, chapters and the membership as
a whole.
4c. Identify leadership, professional learning and growth opportunities for staff members in order to
build a deeper, more knowledgeable team and influence engagement and retention.
4d. Use technology in ways that make our organization more efficient, collaborative and innovative.

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