Domain 1 - Technology Leadership, Planning, and Policy
This domain covers the program-level work of a school technology specialist: needs assessment, multi-year planning, budgeting, E-rate and CIPA compliance, and stakeholder communication. Illinois does not publish weighted percentages for test 223, so the headings below organize the documented responsibilities of the role rather than an official framework.
Core rules and concepts
- Plan from a documented needs assessment tied to the school improvement plan; every purchase maps to a goal and a measurable success criterion.
- Budget with total cost of ownership, not sticker price: hardware amortized over a 4–5 year lifecycle, plus support staff, licensing, professional learning, replacement reserve, and disposal.
- E-rate Category 1 funds data transmission and internet access; Category 2 funds internal connections, managed internal broadband, and basic maintenance. End-user devices are generally ineligible.
- CIPA conditions E-rate discounts on a technology protection measure, an acceptable use policy, and education for minors on appropriate online behavior.
Worked example
A school plans 500 devices at $400 each. The purchase looks like $200,000, but the annual budget is: devices amortized over four years, $50,000; replacement reserve, $50,000; one loaded technician, $70,000; management licensing at $30 per device, $15,000; professional learning, $15,000. Annual TCO is $200,000, or $400 per device per year. A vendor lease quoted at $140 per device per year ($70,000) covers hardware only - support, licensing, and training still land on the district, so the lease is not cheaper on a like-for-like basis.
Traps that cost marks
Quoting purchase price as TCO; assuming E-rate buys laptops; writing a plan with no evaluation or refresh step; treating a signed acceptable use policy as if it satisfied CIPA on its own.