A rich body of literature on school effectiveness has been generated during the last decades. At the same time, the use of technology in the classroom and partly in the school management has gained enormous attention. This study aims to understand the relation of the use of technology in School management, structured performance management practices and organizational effectiveness. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by Venkatesh and Davis and previous research, a research model was developed. During a unique study with around 1.000 principals of German schools the research model will be evaluated. As the online survey is still open, no results are available yet. However, it is expected that the use of technology has a positive effect on structured Performance management practices and in turn on organizational effectiveness. While the study aims to make a significant impact on the ongoing discussion about school effectiveness and help authorities in the development of school policies by highlighting best practices, the paper presented does primarily focus on the definition and implementation of the research methodology chosen. Only on the basis of such carefully developed research design deriving practical recommendations on the use of technology in school management - and thus shaping the way forward of digitizing schools - becomes possible. Keywords: School management, technology use, ITEM, MIS in schools, school effectiveness, role of the principal, research projects