Developing and Sustaining K–12 School Technology Innovation Through Lottery Grant Awards: A Multiple Case Study

Abstract

This qualitative, descriptive, multiple case study investigated the impact of technology-focused grants, funded by state lottery proceeds, on four schools in a Midwestern state. Participants were selected from a list of 11 projects identified by the administrative agency overseeing the grant program as successful projects based on data the schools self-reported. At the time of the study, all projects had been completed for at least 1 year. The four schools selected for the study ranged from a small, rural school in a geographically isolated area of the state, to a large urban high school in the state's largest city. Several themes evolved through interviews with 13 key school personnel: defining innovation, expectations vs. reality, individual project roles, technology planning and implementation, and the grant writing process. The data were collected through a variety of qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, e-mail, review of formal documents, and observations of the settings in which the educator worked. Findings highlighted the differences in resources among large and small schools, the impact of individuals on a school's culture and instructional practice, the role of the state's educational support services in school and curriculum innovation, and the role of technology in educational practice.