The Youth Technology Support Collaborative (YTSC), a group of non-profit organizations, technology companies, and professional associations, created this on-line guide for school decision makers, interested in student technology support programs. It is designed to help decision makers define the type of program best suited to their student and school needs based on the best practices of current practitioners. You can also download a complete copy of this guide from June 2004 (PDF).

The Decision Maker’s Guide is not a how-to guide for launching a program. Rather, these pages provide background for decision makers to make a case for such a program and also determine what type of program is most appropriate to pursue. The resources section links to documents and Web sites with specific program development resources. The YTSC white paper: Youth Technology Support Programs: Meeting the Challenge of Technology Support in Schools (PDF), Douglas Levin, American Institutes for Research, February 2004, provides a summary and review of programs and literature.

This guide is designed for administrators considering youth technology support programs: curriculum and instruction directors, technology directors, school-site technology coordinators, teachers, principals, and anyone else making decisions about technology in a school district.

A companion to the guide, the planning worksheet has key questions for decision makers to use as they progress through the guide.

Test Your Knowledge about Student Technology Support Programs with this quick quiz.