Digital Discourse / Archives for innovation

SIIA and AAP Issue Joint Statement to Support Implementation of the Voluntary Common Core State Standards for Education

March 10, 2010 By

The National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released  the much anticipated, first official public draft of the K-12 standards as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.  The standards in (1) English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies & Science and (2) Mathematics are expected to be finalized in early Spring.  Initial reviews, as expected, are a mix of praise and skepticism.  SIIA notes the inclusion in the standars of student digital/media literacy, use of technology to enhance writing, and use of technology to visualize and represent mathematical concepts as important ways the standards reflect 21st century learning, knowledge and skills. 

At last week at SIIA’s Ed Tech Government Forum, representatives from CCSSO, Achieve and the Council of Great City Schools presented to more than 150 publishers and developers about the Common Core timeline and impact on curriculum, assessment and publishers.  They noted the key role played by publishers and developers, as well as the extended timeline and investment that will be needed to transition to the new standards. 

SIIA, along with session co-host the Association of American Publishers, took that opportunity to release a joint statement to support implementation of the Common Core state standards:

“The Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) support the voluntary Common Core State Standards Initiative for education and its implementation through our members’ development of instructional, curricular, professional development, assessment and other resources, both digital and print, that align to the standards and are necessary for the teaching and learning of those Standards.  AAP, SIIA and our member publishers and developers look forward to the final approval and adoption of a set of Common Core Standards that ensure students gain the knowledge and skills necessary for their success in the 21st century. We expect the commonality of standards will reduce some burdens on our education system, resulting in enhanced opportunity for curriculum innovation and personalized learning to ensure all students are college and career ready.”

In so doing, SIIA and AAP affirmed that we and our member publishers and developers look forward to continued work with education agencies and other stakeholders to provide instructional resources aligned to state standards.  AAP and SIIA members collectively develop and publish a large majority of textbooks, software, online content, assessments and other primary and supplemental materials and related professional development used by educators and students in virtually all states and school districts across the country.

Share|
Filed Under: Education, Education Policy, Policy Tagged With: , ,

What’s the (Ed Tech) Plan?

March 5, 2010 By

The U.S. Department of Education today released a draft of the National Educational Technology Plan titled, “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology.”  U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan previewed the plan March 3rd during SIIA’s Ed Tech Government Forum in his first speech centered around technology-enabled teaching and learning.  SIIA staff and members were pleased to be invited to provide input into the draft plan, including an SIIA member focus group held in June 2009.

The Plan is not merely a technology plan; it is importantly a plan for the future of teaching and learning. The described model of 21st century learning, powered by technology, is very consistent with SIIA’s Vision K-20. It calls for “personalized learning instead of a one-size-fits-all curriculum, pace of teaching, and instructional practices,” “technology-based assessments,” and “using technology . . . [for] enabling a shift to a model of connected teaching.”  The plan also recognizes that technology can make our education system more productive, as it has done in most other sectors, as well as that “an essential component of the 21st century learning model is a comprehensive infrastructure.”

The Plan’s release comes on the heels of the Obama Administration’s FY2011 budget, which proposes, among other changes, to eliminate funding for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program and instead infuse technology into other programs.  SIIA is working to understand the details and implications of this policy shift and has shared some early thoughts (here and here).

SIIA has little doubt those few communities with the vision, capacity and resources will continue to pursue the model outlined in the Plan, but what will happen to those without absent this federal investment?  How credible and viable will the Plan and federal leadership be without matching targeted resources? Failing to adequately plan has slowed our nation’s progress toward a technology-enabled 21st century education system, but absent the enabling investments, this important initiative could amount to no more than planning to fail.

Upon initial review, SIIA supports the Plan’s vision, and many of the recommendations.  We are very pleased that the Obama Administration has put forward such a bold model for the transformation of our educational system.  And we look forward to working further with our members, education stakeholders and the Obama Administration to not only further refine the Plan to ensure it is appropriate and actionable, but more importantly to ensure the critical investments in technology are made and systems changed to realize the Plan’s successful implementation and the continued competitiveness of our education system.

Share|
Filed Under: Education, Education Policy, Policy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is Every Education Program a Technology Opportunity? Obama Budget, Part II

February 4, 2010 By

After an initial reaction here Monday to the Obama Administration’s proposed FY2011 budget for the U.S. Department of Education and educational technology, a fuller analysis is now possible (see others here, here and here).  The budget notes that: “The President strongly believes that technology, when used creatively and effectively, can transform education and training in the same way that it has transformed the private sector.”  The question then is how the budget proposes to support that notion, and if in fact it would.

The Obama educational technology proposal includes three core elements: (1) “consolidation” of the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program, which would end the program and diffuse those dollars as a technology priority throughout the new Effective Teaching and Learning programs (p.7, 26-27, and 34); (2) integration of technology into other programs including i3 and RttT; and (3) enhanced R&D investment in USED and National Science Foundation.

The EETT budget justification reads:  “The Administration‟s ESEA reauthorization proposal would consolidate this [EETT] program into the Effective Teaching and Learning for a Complete Education authority. Each of the three programs under this new authority would include a focus on integrating technology into instruction and using technology to drive improvements in teaching and learning. In addition, using technology to improve student outcomes is a key priority in the Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation (i3) programs. The Administration‟s proposal for College- and Career-Ready Students [i.e., Title I] also will promote the development of State capacity to support district efforts to use technology to improve instruction.” 

SIIA applauds the Obama Administration’s proposed budget for recognizing the important role of technology to transform education and improve student outcomes.  We also welcome proposals to better integrate technology to drive improvements in teaching and learning throughout the many grant programs. This integration currently exists on paper, but there are many opportunities to further leverage this approach into practice.

SIIA also believes targeted federal investment, including through the EETT program, plays a critical role in both building state and local capacity for educational innovation through technology, as well as for coordinating disparate school improvement investments that leverage educational technologies. Directed investment may be especially important where capacity and resources are otherwise lacking to take advantage of existing and new flexibility, thus risking exacerbation of the classroom digital divide between schools.

SIIA looks forward to working with the Administration and Congress to ensure that any new federal K-12 paradigm continues the systematic and coordinated investment in educational technology leadership needed to drive education innovation and continuous improvement.  This includes work during the ESEA reauthorization processes to further integrate technology throughout all education programs as proposed, as well as continued support for increased investment in EETT (or an alternative such as the ATTAIN Act) at least until such time as there are meaningful and quantifiable alternative approaches enacted to achieve these goals.

Share|
Filed Under: Education, Education Policy, Policy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Obama Budget Proposal: Half Empty or Half Full for Ed Tech?

February 1, 2010 By

The FY2011 (2011-12 school year) budget proposal released today by the Obama Administration would dramatically remake the federal education landscape in the name of flexibility and alignment around the four assurances.  Among the changes would be the “consolidation” of the Enhancing Education Through Technology program (and 38 others down to 11), perhaps ending some 15+ years of targeted USED investment in educational innovation and improvement through technology only recently touted by 30+ national education and high-tech organizations and supported in the stimulus.  While SIIA has been ensured of the goal to integrate technology throughout, those details to date are not available. 

Flexibility to use an array of federal program funds to meet educational needs through technology is an important principle, and in fact, advocacy by SIIA and others has ensured technology is already allowed in most core U.S. Department of Education programs (though much more work is needed).  The flexibility is most often taken advantage of by those with the vision, capacity and existing success.  The questions therefore are: What federal leadership teeth will be given to the integration policies to drive technology-based practices that would not otherwise happen.  And what will happen to those many communities and teachers without the vision, capacity and resources, if targeted investment is no longer provided?  EETT has been successful in targeting high-need schools especially in building local capacity and providing needed professional development.  Pending bipartisan legislation would build on those successes and revamp the program.

Among the other major proposals as part of a $3.5 billion overall increase: $1.35 B for RttT, $500 M for i3, $200 M more for literacy and STEM, $354 more for school improvement/turnaround, $800 M more for innovative teacher and leader reforms/recruitment/preparation, and slight increases for Title I and IDEA to about $25 B total.   Included is a shift in some cases from formula to competitive programs, while much of the proposal depends upon uncertain enabling legislation through the ESEA/NCLB reauthorization.  [Note that SIIA will be further analyzing the proposal for its members in the days ahead.] 

SIIA looks forward to learning more about the Administration’s proposals, and working with the USED and other stakeholders to ensure that any new federal policy paradigm pushes real transformation  and closes the gap of educational improvement enabled by educational technologies.

Share|
Filed Under: Education, Education Policy, Policy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Race-to-the-Top, Prepare for the Marathon

January 26, 2010 By

Much recent attention has rightly been paid to the Race-to-the-Top (RttT), but there are a wide range of other policies and programs also driving educational investments and opportunities. 2009 lay some $100+ million in federal  education reform and improvement seeds, while Recovery Act implementation along with new legislation means 2010 is shaping up to be at least as critical  to the long-term growth of that investment and policy.  SIIA’s 2010 Ed Tech Government Forum  will help SIIA members understand the impact of Education Funding & Programs in a (Post) Stimulus World. 

SIIA members are encouraged to register by the February 1 early-bird deadline for the SIIA Forum, taking place March 3-4 in Washington, DC.  The Forum will provide SIIA members with insight on a wide range of K-20 policies and programs impacting the education sector, and do so with an eye toward the role of technology and the role of private partners. 

Speakers and Topics Include:

- CA Secretary of Ed Glen Thomas and US DoED Senior Advisor Hal Plotkin will share their inside perspectives on the their Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives

- State and local education leaders will discuss the impact and timeline of Common Core Standards on educational publishers and developers

- US DoED’s Jim Shelton will answer all your questions about Investing in Innovation (i3)

- President Obama’s Special Assistant for Education Roberto Rodriguez will outline the Administration’s education agenda and the role of technology and e-learning

- Title I leaders will examine the newest models and opportunities around the $billions being invested in School Improvement through Title I and RttT

- Renowned RtI expert Dr. Russell Gersten will share the best policies, research and practice driving the large investments nationwide in Response-to-Intervention

- Education policy leaders will provide insight into the 2010 education agenda, including the Recovery Act, RttT, ESEA Reauthorization, and the federal education budget

- Keynotes from U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and WV State Superintendent Steven Paine will help you understand the vision and policy prescriptions of national education leaders

Of course, all this insight and analysis will take place against a backdrop of extensive networking opportunities with education leaders from inside the beltway, and from around the country, as well as advocacy opportunities.

With the Obama Administration fundamentally reshaping federal education programs and national education policy, this is a critical year to be in Washington, DC.  More Information.

Share|
Filed Under: Education, Education Policy, Policy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Race to the Top Education Innovation in Eye of the Beholder

August 26, 2009 By

Last month, President Obama and Secretary Duncan launched the federal Race-to-the-Top (RttT) initiative, releasing draft guidelines by which states would apply for $4.35 billion in grants, appropriated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA; i.e., the stimulus – see SIIA analysis).  Duncan calls this the “largest pot of discretionary funding for K-12 education reform in the history of the United States.” He may be right. But what kinds of reform and innovation? What exactly is reform and innovation in our K-12 public education system – vouchers, charters, teacher performance pay, e-learning, personalized learning, RtI, constructivist learning, etc.?

As outlined in the RttT draft (which implements the State Incentive Grant program authorized as part of the ARRA State Fiscal Stabilization Fund), reform and innovation in this case are first and largely about enhanced data systems that can match student and teacher performance, globally competitive learning standards and aligned assessments, and charter schools. SIIA generally supports these goals and the four assurances overall, including also the RttT focus on struggling schools. [Read more...]

Share|
Filed Under: Education, Education Policy, Policy Tagged With: , , , , ,
Newer Posts »