The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) released a report and companion toolkit aimed at helping K-12 school districts manage the human and organizational challenges that come with adopting new technology.
The 2026 Blaschke Report, “Change Management for Education Technology: A Practical Guide for District Leaders,” uses the ADKAR change management model to organize technology adoption around five outcomes: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement, according to CoSN.
The report draws on a summer-long qualitative research project that combined a review of change management literature with interviews with education and technology leaders from small, midsize, and large public school districts nationwide, said CoSN, a professional association for K-12 school system technology leaders.
“School districts must continually adapt to evolving technologies, expectations and challenges,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “This year’s Blaschke Report provides district leaders with a practical framework for managing change in a way that supports educators, staff, students, and families while helping districts realize the full value of their technology investments.”
In a Sept. 23 press release, CoSN said the report focuses on managing both the technical and human factors behind technology adoption so districts can reduce disruption, strengthen stakeholder trust, and improve the chances that new systems and practices will be sustained.
The accompanying 27-page School District Technology Change Management Toolkit turns the ADKAR concepts into worksheets and planning resources for districts to use before, during, and after implementations. It distinguishes project management, which delivers a technical solution, from change management, which prepares and supports the people expected to adopt it.
“Technology alone does not transform education; the people who use it do. Change management ensures that communities have the leadership, training, and support needed to thrive alongside new technologies,” said Jesse Davis, author of the report and CoSN’s 2026 Blaschke Fellow.
The toolkit recommends that districts begin by defining the problem a proposed technology change is intended to solve, identifying affected groups, setting an implementation timeline, and determining how success will be measured. District leaders are also encouraged to consider competing initiatives and implementation fatigue before moving into procurement or a districtwide rollout.
A central part of the framework is the use of “change champions” who connect implementation leaders with employees and other stakeholders experiencing the change in their day-to-day work. The toolkit recommends selecting champions who have credibility with peers, represent different roles and schools, and are willing to listen to concerns rather than simply promote a new initiative.
The ADKAR framework then gives districts a way to diagnose where different stakeholder groups are in the adoption process. Districts may need to build awareness of why a change is necessary, create a desire to participate, provide role-specific knowledge, give users opportunities to develop practical ability, and reinforce new practices after launch. Different groups may be at different stages simultaneously, the toolkit notes.
After implementation, districts are advised to track adoption indicators, review feedback and help requests, maintain refresher training, and conduct a post-implementation review. The toolkit also outlines a change management council that can review significant technology changes, assess security and privacy implications, coordinate competing initiatives, and document implementation decisions and follow-up actions.
