US Schools Spent $2.7 Billion on Computers in School Year 1991 Software
Publishers Association Survey Seven of Ten High Tech Dollars Spent for
Instructional Purposes

September 23, 1992 (Washington, DC)--US schools spent $2.7 billion dollars
on personal computer hardware and software last school year, according to
a survey by the Software Publishers Association.

The survey, conducted earlier in 1992, included 770 elementary, junior high
and senior high schools and 198 school districts. The study found that
more than 70 percent of the high tech dollars, or $1.9 billion, was spent
on hardware and software for instructional purposes. The balance, $779
million, was spent on hardware and software for administrative purposes.

"It is most encouraging to see the priority teachers and administrators
place on the use of educational technology," said David Tremblay, Research
Director of the SPA. "The recognition that education software can play an
important role in enhancing teacher effectiveness will help keep education
software sales growing even in the face of state and local government
funding pressures."

Highlights from the study include:

* Schools and districts spent nearly $600 million for personal computer
software in FY90/91. Instructional software accounted for nearly $500
million (83%) of the total.

* Average spending by individual schools was fairly low: The median spent
by each school on software was between $1,000 and $2,500. Median spending
by districts was between $5,000 and $10,000, but 8% of districts said that
they spent over $100,000 on personal computer software.

* Schools spend more of their instruction technology budget on hardware
than on software. The average ratio of instructional software to
instructional hardware spending ranged from 22% for senior high schools up
to 28% for elementary schools.

* When study participants consider educational software purchases, they
consider three factors as most important:

1) Support for teaching the topics and skills covered in the classroom.
Teachers and administrators are looking for software tools that will work
with the teacher and help him or her be more effective in the classroom;

2) Software that helps develop students' skills in creative problem
solving, critical thinking and other higher order thinking skills.
Developing these higher order skills in students is generally recognized
as the critical task facing the US education system. Teachers and school
administrators are looking to education technology to help teach these
skills;

3) Software that is easy to use. Teachers want to teach the subject, and
not focus on the tools. They want their technological tools to be easy to
use, so the students and teachers can focus on the topic, not the tool.

The Software Publishers Association is the principal trade association of
the PC software industry. Its 900 members represent the leading publishers
in the business, consumer, and education markets. The SPA has offices in
Washington, DC, and Paris, France.

Software publishers Association
1730 M St, Northwest, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036
202-452-1600,  Fax: 202-223-8756

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