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Cost-effectiveness. By uniquely blending the benefits noted above - flexibility, efficiency, utilization of ITRTs, and scalability - the JMU Program can offer certification for a surprisingly small cost.

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Increased teacher credibility, confidence, and competence. Teachers who have attained their JMU NETS▪T certification report that the process helps them feel more confident in their ability to use technology effectively.

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Flexibility. Users can pursue certification at their own pace, schedule, and location. Since there is no "seat time" associated with the program, users may complete their certification as quickly as their time allows. Further, users may choose to develop their skills in whatever fashion (and budget) suits them best. The JMU NETS▪T program itself is completely independent of the training leading to development of NETS▪T skills. It can be used in conjunction with any existing professional development program, incorporating both formal and informal activities.

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Efficiency. Users engage in only the training they need in order to master NETS▪T prerequisite skills. ITRTs/teachers possessing requisite skills progress to certification faster than do ITRTs/teachers who have yet to acquire the skills.

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Retention. The development of the learning community promoted by NETS▪T adoption may actually assist in retaining teachers who might otherwise leave the division. As noted by the Technology Coordinator of one of the participating school divisions in which 20% or more of its teachers have become NETS▪T certified (with more currently in process),

In my opinion, the teachers who have completed [JMU] NETS▪T certification are so excited about being able to utilize the technology in their classroom and the support they have received from Warren County Public Schools and the Shenandoah Valley Technology Consortium that they do not want to leave our school division to look at other job opportunities that are available to them.

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Rejuvenation of veteran teachers. Teachers of long-standing are often presumed to be at the back of the technology integration curve. However, as noted by one Technology Coordinator, the JMU NETS▪T program has had an unexpected result:

A side benefit, and somewhat unexpected, is the rejuvenation I've seen of veteran teachers. We have many seasoned teachers who have gone through the [JMU] NETS▪T certification program and have expressed a renewed passion in teaching. For an example of this, visit http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/spotlights/algebra.htm. The enthusiasm expressed by the teachers in this video is typical of what has happened from school to school....

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Impact on achievement. While the report is anecdotal, one Technology Coordinator indicates that, in his opinion, the {JMU] NETS▪T certification program has had a positive effect on student achievement, as measured by the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs):

…our SOL test scores are quite admirable. When I began working here in 1989, [the school division] would typically score at or a little below the state average on all normed tests. Now, our SOL scores are routinely well in excess of state scores. For example, I just reviewed all of our math scores for the past four years, grades 3-12, as found on the DOE Division Report Card. There are 24 test scores posted; [the school division] exceeded the state average in all 24 in terms of percentage passing. I strongly believe that the integration of technology into instruction [supported by the JMU NETS▪T certification program] has been a major factor in this success.

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Enhanced pursuit of external funding. Forty percent of the teachers at Pleasant Valley Elementary School have attained their JMU NETS▪T certification. The School Principal notes that she thinks that a grant recently awarded to the school was the result in part of having such a technology-accomplished faculty. See details of the grant at  http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/spotlights/PVESSmart.htm.

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Reinforcement of ITRT role. The JMU Program supports ITRTs in the role of serving as Evaluators for the teachers with whom they work. As such, these ITRT-teacher NETS▪T certification teams may take advantage of existing relationships and professional development programs to identify the optimal path to certification. Indeed, supporting evaluation by supervisors who have responsibility for the professional development of the teachers pursuing the certification maximizes relevance and engagement by all parties. It is also perhaps the most critical factor in the success of the program.

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Scalability. Utilizing the ITRTs as Evaluators provides the potential for great scalability of the program. For example, at the upper end, the JMU Program allows for JMU NETS▪T certification of all 105,000 Virginia teachers over a five-year period by first training and then employing all 1,300 ITRTs as Evaluators.

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Agility. The unique design and implementation of the JMU program allows it to be adapted or modified quickly for local needs, for example, to accommodate strategic priorities of the school division.

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High degree of adoption. The JMU Program facilitates the development of supportive virtual communities of practice (VCOPs) among colleagues and this, along with the involvement of ITRTs, efficiency and program low cost, leads to relative high levels of adoptions among teachers in a division, currently as high as 20% among some divisions, with additional teachers in the NETS▪T pipeline. Some individual schools report adoption rates as high as 40% and rising.

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Sustainability. Once adopted, the JMU Program is easily sustainable due to its low-cost and reliance on local resources. So, the program may continue even if the funding used to establish the program is cut dramatically. Further, the program provides for collaboration within a supportive virtual community of peers that remains in place even after certification is achieved, thus supporting both established and new generations of tech-enabled teachers.

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Culture of learning. The high degree of adoption leads to the development of a critical mass of technology-accomplished teachers which, in turn, has the effect of promoting a culture of learning within the school, division, consortium, or state. This culture affects not only those who have attained their JMU NETS▪T certification but those with whom they work as well. Within this culture, the JMU NETS▪T certified teachers become models of learning and accomplishment.

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Collaborative cohorts. The JMU Program places great emphasis on the development of virtual and non-virtual communities of practice, thus making it ideal for supporting cohorts of ITRTs/teachers in working collectively toward their certification. These cohorts may be similarly-skilled (e.g., consisting of veteran ITRTs), team-based (e.g., ITRT-teacher teams), and/or theme-based (e.g., early elementary teachers and their ITRT supports).

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Training optimization. The JMU Program supports creation of highly targeted just-in-time-training based on an on-going embedded needs analysis performed by the Evaluator during the evaluation process. Current training may be revised or new training may be developed to address gaps or opportunities in training identified, such as those skills identified during the JMU NETS▪T self-assessment.

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Technology readiness. The JMU Program includes completion of the Essential Conditions survey as a prerequisite to beginning NETS▪T pursuit. Essential Conditions refer to those elements of a school environment that determine its technology readiness. Tracking these data may allow ITRTs or administrators to identify those areas in which the technology readiness of the school/division may be improved, such as through the procurement of needed hardware or software.

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Self-directed learning. The JMU Program supports self-development of an Individual Development Plan aligned with the NETS▪T standards. In conjunction with the NETS▪T self-assessment conducted at the beginning of NETS▪T pursuit, the Plan allows teachers to take ownership of their own professional development and guide their own development.

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Evaluation by Technology Coordinators/Training Supervisors. The JMU Program supports evaluation by technology coordinators and training supervisors who are most likely to be aware of the complete range of professional development offerings within a division. As such, these Evaluators can guide ITRTs and teachers to those professional development activities best suited to individual needs.

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Individual Development Plan. The JMU Program supports the development of a NETS▪T-aligned Individual Development Plan to guide efforts to develop requisite skills.

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Content creation and dissemination. In association with the Virginia Content Repository, the certification program provides for identification and dissemination of exemplary work products

* ITRTs (Instructional Technology Resource Teachers) is the term used in Virginia to refer to teacher-licensed technology integration specialist who consult with classroom teachers on using technology effectively to enhance instruction.