Pennsylvania Technology Inventory
Creating a Representative Sample

By combining data from the PATI Technology and Instructional phases, a comprehensive analysis can be made relative to the impact of technology in Pennsylvania schools. Primarily PATI is of direct benefit to the LEAs as a tool to help make informed decisions relative to the essential conditions for the effective uses of technology. Such conditions include effective practices in teaching and learning, educator proficiency, robust access, digital equity, and leadership.

In addition data from these surveys is used by PDE to assess the impact of grant initiatives and other state programs related to technology and learning. Data are used to provide assistance to policymakers in the Commonwealth related to the status of education technology in general. Also note that as new technology program opportunities come along, there are eligibility guidelines that accompany these programs. By having PATI completed, this helps in providing PDE a comprehensive picture of your LEA and allows us to better align your data with eligibility requirements.

In some cases, though, it may be difficult to get a high rate of response to a voluntary survey. In these cases, LEAs might want to consider constructing a representative sample within their LEA rather than requiring for all teachers and administrators to take the survey. While a sample will never be as accurate as surveying the entire population, it does provide a more accurate picture of the state of learning technology than a does a population that is small and composed only of a few volunteers.

Statisticians have sophisticated methods for constructing samples that would be beyond what any LEA administrator would undertake. Instead, the construction of a sample can be based on one simple question, "Who would I need to include in the survey to be certain that the results represent the entire LEA?"

Take the example of a district with one high school being fed by three middle schools that receive their students from nine elementary schools. Each of the middle schools, due to the mix of students from three feeder elementary schools, is fairly similar to the others. But the elementary schools themselves in this example district are not as similar. Six are within the city limits and three are rural. Other variables may also make one elementary school unique over another.

As the beginning of a sampling plan, the high school, one of the middle schools, and three elementary schools, two in town and one rural might be included. If the staff in a selected rural school is small, the entire staff would be asked to participate. In the larger high school, teachers could be randomly selected by simply arranging the staff list in alphabetical order and selecting every third teacher. The list then could be "balanced" to ensure that every department in the high school is represented, that difference experience levels are present, etc. The goal of the process is not to achieve formal validity, it is simply to ensure that the sample of the staff "looks like" the entire staff. In the middle and larger elementaries, a sample might be drawn that includes at least one teacher per team or grade level and a mix of experience and levels of technology use. The sample might then be rotated every year to provide trend data without an unequal burden being placed on selected teachers.

While we hope that as many educators as possible will participate in the PATI survey process, we realize that even where these data would prove valuable, it is not always feasible to achieve full participation. A simple sampling process can achieve similar results with a less of a burden on staff. Each LEA should consider these sampling guidelines when determining their level of participation. Remember that the primary goal of PATI is to provide LEAs the benefit of robust reporting. Metiri states that 15 teacher surveys are the minimum needed to generate a report for a LEA. But again depending upon the size of your district, only 15 surveys many not provide benefit to your local planning.

On final note for those schools participating in Classrooms for the Future (CFF). CFF is a specific grant program that is looking at the impact of the resources and professional development provided as part of this initiative. The CFF Teacher Surveys are designed to focus on specifics results of the CFF program, whereas PATI addresses broader topics regarding the integration of technology in your school. Thus for schools and teachers participating in CFF, PATI is required for each education professional that is impacted.