A Survey of Current Computer Skill Standards and Implications for Teacher Education.

Many national and provincial initiatives are underway to specify the technology skills that students must demonstrate at each grade level. The Government of the Province of Alberta in Canada has mandated the implementation of a new curriculum beginning in September 2000 called the "Information and Communication Technology Program of Studies." This curriculum is infused within core courses and specifies what students are "expected to know, be able to do, and be like with respect to technology" (Alberta Learning, 2000). Since teachers are required to implement this new curriculum, school jurisdictions are turning to professional development strategies and hiring standards to meet this goal. This paper summarizes the results of a telephone survey administered to all public school jurisdictions in the Province of Alberta with a 100% response rate. Examined were the computer skills that school jurisdictions require of newly hired and currently employed teachers. Implications of standards are discussed. (Author/AEF)