What’s New in Common Core: August

As the 2013-2014 school year is starting around the country Common Core preparation has ramped up. There was no legislation in the states during the usually quiet month of August, but the two consortia organizations are gearing up for the year of preparation ahead with recently released documents and resources.

Both Smarter Balanced and PARCC released information on field tests that can help districts and companies prepare for the transition. The results of the field tests will help schools decide what sort of materials will best suit the new curriculum.

A recent webinar outlined expected release dates for future materials from both consortia organizations. It also allowed educators and other interested parties to ask questions directly to the consortia leaders.  Teachers, administrators, and district leaders are all concerned and about the changes and what they can do to make cost effective decisions for their districts.

The “What’s new in Common Core” document gives links and summaries to these August releases as well as a comprehensive collection of important resources released in 2013 so far. SIIA members can download the document to learn more about the resources available to companies and districts looking to navigate the upcoming transition.


Lindsay HarmanLindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.

July: What’s New in Common Core State Standards?

In Common Core states educators and administrators are moving forward with the planned 2014-2015 school year implementation, but not without difficulties.  This month’s SIIA members-only update includes reports showing progress towards implementation and some setbacks.

This month, some of the biggest news came from States shifting against the CCSS. Both Pennsylvania and Indiana had movements on the legislative front that would either delay or cancel CCSS Implementation. Indiana passed a bill that required a further study of Common Core implementation that will most likely cause an implementation delay. In Pennsylvania legislation was introduced that if passed, would require Pennsylvania to drop out of the common core within 60 days.

While there are offensives against common core in some states, others are moving forward with strong support. North Dakota selected SBAC to conduct tests within the state.  In addition to North Dakota’s move forward toward CCSS implementation, other states have signed on to participate in PARCC’s field testing of assessments in 2014. PARCC also announced its pricing structure, which has caused some concern among member states as they evaluate future assessment budgets.

SIIA members may download the latest “What’s New in Common Core?” document and see more details on what happened in July and archives of past months.  SIIA members can also review past SIIA webinars on CCSS.  Look for more updates by SIIA next month!


Lindsay HarmanLindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.

What’s New in Common Core Standards & Assessments? June edition

With all of the recent uncertainty surrounding Common Core, SIIA sees it as vital that our members are aware of the latest data and resources related to Common Core. The SIIA monthly updates from this year have been compiled into one easy to read document. This allows members to access the latest data and archives in one easy step.

June was not as busy or as controversial as May for common core, but some new developments and resources did pop up.  In response to the increased anti-common core sentiments, Secretary Duncan published an open letter indicating an increased awareness of the need for flexibility in implementation deadlines.  Pushback on the common core deadlines continued, with Michigan blocking any funds to be used for preparing or implementing common core. Other highlights from June include a new PARCC field test scheduled to begin next spring. A new report on the next generation science standards was also published. While the standards are not strictly a part of the Common Core curriculum they could have a similarly large impact on state curricula.

SIIA members can review past SIIA webinars on CCSS and view session summaries from SIIA’s Ed Tech Government Forum in Washington, DC. Look for more updates by SIIA next month!


Lindsay HarmanLindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.

May’s What’s New in Common Core Standards & Assessments?

May has been a busy month for Common Core. There appears to be increased backlash against the standards and assessments as the reality of implementation creeps closer. One could argue about the degree to which the concern is genuine or political, real or perceived. The pushback ranges from those citizens and political groups critical of a national curriculum influenced by the federal government  to educator groups concerned that resources and time are inadequate for an accountability (student, teacher and school) system based on CC-aligned assessments (including online SBAC and PARCC).  These pressures have caused several states to pause or rethink their adoption policies. It remains unclear if this is a bump in the road, or less likely, the tip of a significant retreat.  At the same time, there are also many key stakeholders standing up for Common Core and calling for states and education leaders to renew their commitment to implementation by the 2014-2015 school year.

Highlights from SIIA’s summary of happenings this month in CC include: a report on the state of common core by leading researchers; statements from key education leaders on recent Common Core debate; and perspectives from leading media sources. Other featured items include the recently released practice tests and recommendations for teachers and administrators to implement the CCSS.

With all of the recent uncertainty surrounding Common Core, SIIA sees it as vital that our members have access to the latest data and resources on CCSS. Look for more updates by SIIA in a month!

Meanwhile, SIIA members can review past SIIA webinars on CCSS, view session summaries from SIIA’s Ed Tech Government Forum in Washington, DC, and look for our upcoming (TBD) webinar on the Common Core timeline and implementation.

 

 


Lindsay HarmanLindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.

Momentum Growing for Federal Investment in Digital Learning

Educators and public officials are no longer asking “if” technology, but instead “how” can they best support and leverage the modernization of schools and teaching through technology and digital learning. That effort has received several boosts this month, including today when President Obama will announce the ConnectED initiative.

Most significantly, “The President is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to modernize and leverage the existing E-Rate program [to] . . . within five years, connect 99 percent of America’s students, through next-generation broadband (at speeds no less than 100Mbps and with a target of 1Gbps) to, and high-speed wireless within, their schools and libraries.” E-Rate funding has been relatively flat at $2.25 billion since its creation in 1996, while the need for, and the demand for, connectivity has grown dramatically.

The President’s proposal also directs the U.S. Department of Education “to make better use of existing funds to get this technology into classrooms, and into the hands of teachers trained on its advantages,” including especially around teacher professional development through Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Notably, the President’s propsoal identifies the need to “Build on Private-Sector Innovation” to “allow our teachers and students to take full advantage of feature-rich educational devices . . . and high-quality educational software (including applications) . . .”

Federal support is also growing in Congress. Representative George Miller, Ranking Democrat on the House Education & the Workforce Committee, has introduced the Transforming Education Through Technology Act (HR521) to support school technology readiness and teacher professional development to ensure all students can access and benefit from technology. And Senate H.E.L.P. Committee Chairman Tom Harkin includes a number of related programs and provisions in his recently introduced Strengthening America’s Schools Act of 2013. The Harkin proposal builds on legislation (S1087) recently introduced by Senators Hagan, Murray and Baldwin.  At SIIA’s April policy forum (in conjunction with CoSN, ISTE and SETDA), FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel announced a related package of proposed changes to the E-Rate to increase its funding and improve its administration.

SIIA supports and has championed these federal proposals to increase investments in education targeted to both increase access to, and enhance the use of, educational technologies. Learning technologies are needed to improve learning opportunities, engagement and personalization. Yet SIIA’s Vision K20 educator survey and other data shows that access to and use of these technologies is limited.

SIIA calls on the FCC and Congress to advance these and related initiatives needed to ensure all students and educators can realize the educational benefits made possible by technology.

As the President’s proposal articulates: “From digital textbooks that help students visualize and interact with complex concepts, to apps and platforms that adapt to the level of individual student knowledge and help teachers know precisely which lessons or activities are working, this technology is real, it is available, and its capacity to improve education is profound.”


Mark SchneidermanMark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.

SIIA Announces CODiE Award Winners for Education Technology Industry

SIIA presented the 2013 CODiE Awards in education technology tonight during a special awards reception and dinner, held during SIIA’s annual Ed Tech Industry Summit. Overall, 28 winners were recognized for their products and services deployed specifically for the education technology market.

All of the education technology nominated products and services were first reviewed by a group of tech-savvy educators from across the nation, whose evaluations determined 82 finalists. SIIA members then reviewed these finalists and voted to select 28 CODiE Award winners, listed here by category, company, and product/service:

Best Classroom Management Solution Stoneware LanSchool 7.7
Best Corporate Learning/Workforce Development Solution GlobalEnglish GlobalEnglish Product Suite
Best Cross-Curricular Solution SoftChalk LLC SoftChalk Cloud
Best Education Community Solution ConnectYard, Inc. ConnectYard
Best Education Game or Simulation Triad Interactive Media, Inc. PlatinuMath: An Online Formative Assessment Math Game for Preservice Elementary Teachers
Best Education Reference Solution PBS PBS LearningMedia
Best Educational Use of a Mobile Device School Improvement Network PD 360 Mobile
Best Instructional Solution in Other Curriculum Areas Florida Virtual School- Global Services Division Mawi Leadership Course
Best K-12 Course or Learning Management Solution CompassLearning CompassLearning Odyssey
Best K-12 Enterprise Solution Schoology, Inc Schoology
Best Mathematics Instructional Solution DreamBox Learning DreamBox Learning Math
Best PK-12 Personalized Learning Solution DreamBox Learning DreamBox Learning Math
Best Postsecondary Course or Learning Management Solution Pearson OpenClass
Best Postsecondary Enterprise Solution McGraw-Hill Higher Education Group McGraw-Hill Tegrity Campus
Best Postsecondary Learning Solution Atomic Learning Tech Skills Plus Training Package
Best Postsecondary Personalized Learning Solution Cengage Learning MindTap
Best Professional Learning Solution for Education Pearson Pearson Compass Suite
Best Reading/English/ELL Instructional Solution Learning A-Z ReadingA-Z.com
Best Science/Health Instructional Solution Cengage Learning myNGconnect
Best Science/Health Instructional Solution ExploreLearning.com ExploreLearning Gizmos
Best Social Sciences Instructional Solution ABC-CLIO American Government
Best Solution for Special Needs Students Brighter Futures for Beautiful Minds Wonkidos Animated Social Skills
Best Solution for Special Needs Students Learning A-Z Raz-Kids.com
Best Student Assessment Solution Curriculum Associates i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction
Best Virtual Learning Solution Adaptive Curriculum Adaptive Curriculum

Three top winners were also chosen during the awards ceremony:

Best K-12 Solution PBS PBS LearningMedia
Best Postsecondary Solution Atomic Learning Tech Skills Plus Training Package
Best Education Solution Atomic Learning Tech Skills Plus Training Package

SIIA’s 2013 CODiE Award winners show that innovation and growth is alive in many areas of the educational technology industry. Among these 26 visionary winners, you’ll find the many of the most exciting ed tech products and services out there. I look forward to seeing the impact they have on the PK-12 and postsecondary markets.

For more information about the CODiE Awards, visit http://www.siia.net/codies/2013/


Karen BillingsKaren Billings is Vice President for the Education Division at SIIA. Follow the SIIA Education Team on Twitter at @SIIAEducation

SIIA’s Perspective on Open Educational Resources

Last month, SIIA released a Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER) to help inform the field about the benefits, challenges and total costs that must be considered around the funding, development and adoption of educational resources, including OER. Included in the Guide was an SIIA editorial sharing our perspective and public policy recommendations.  

SIIA views open educational resources (OER) as one of many appropriate models for the development and distribution of content needed to meet the needs of students and educators. SIIA expects that future educational needs will be addressed by a mix of instructional materials, including OER, and that there is a critical, though perhaps evolving role for commercial partners and proprietary models. 

SIIA recognizes that interest in OER among government agencies and education decision makers, as well as many non-profit entities and foundations, appears driven largely by the goals of reducing costs, improving access, providing quality, and supporting educator/student customization of their content.  SIIA urges the community of OER investors (e.g., legislators and education officials) and users to consider the following:

  • Even in an age of common learning standards, the need to personalize learning will continue to require a robust choice of curricular resources – proprietary and OER – and related technology tools and services. Investments by government authorities or other organizations based on the assumption they can simply ‘build it once’ could inappropriately limit options. No single resource or set of resources will be sufficient to meet the wide range of educational needs.
  • The principles of academic freedom and personalization of learning require that government agencies and educational institutions continue to support educational choice. They should not in the future limit the use of funds to only the development/adoption of OER, but instead should continue ensuring grant and other funding for acquisition/implementation of any and all resources that meet the particular educational need, whether OER or proprietary.
  • To meet diverse and evolving educational needs, the nation’s education sector demands an environment that encourages R&D investment – public and private, for-profit and non-profit – to ensure ever more innovative and effective resources. Education leaders should strive for a sector that encourages investment and competition, provides resource choice, and rewards innovation.
  • Educational resources, including OER, require not only the initial investment, but as importantly must budget for the total, long-term cost of development and use. These ongoing and recurring costs include user training/support, as well as content hosting and maintenance, content updates, and technology updates that, according to some SIIA members, can often require as much as an additional 20% annual cost. 
  • When making cost-benefit calculations and comparisons, it is important to consider these total initial and ongoing costs of development and adoption. Comparisons require both short-term and long-term factors, as well as recognition of both individual use and systemic impact.
  • Institutional, local, or state adoptions of content should use the same review standards, criteria, and process when the content is of the same or similar type – e.g., core, supplemental, etc. – no matter whether OER, commercial or other license.
  • To the degree that public funds are invested in the development of (open) educational resources, they are best targeted to address gaps where quality resources are not currently available to meet educational needs. In addition, such public investments should consider the benefits of public-private partnerships or related models that ensure an ongoing user commitment and a recurring revenue stream needed to update, support, and sustain the resource over time.
  • To the degree that government funds are invested in the development of OER, those resources should be available through a CC BY license allowing third parties to revise, reuse, remix and redistribute the resource, including commercially. An NC license – prohibiting others from using the work for commercial purposes – would be counter to the public policy goal of leveraging public funds to have the widest impact on innovation, cost-savings, access, and diversity of resources.

SIIA looks forward to working further with all stakeholders to consider the opportunities and challenges of OER and other ways to ensure the availability of ever more choice of innovative and effective resources to meet evolving educational needs. SIIA’s Ed Tech Industry Summit next week in San Francisco will inlcude a panel discussion about OER impact and opportunities for SIIA members that will include the SIIA Guide co-authors and Creative Commons CEO Cathy Casserly.


Mark SchneidermanMark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.