Digital Discourse / Archives for Race to the Top

Balancing Technology Standardization and Innovation in Race to the Top Assessments

January 31, 2011 By

The U.S. K-12 public education system continues to lag in both adoption of technology and related innovation as well as in leveraging technology and digital resources through interoperability standards. The two are closely connected: technology standards provide a base for cost-effective, value-added innovation; but if carried too far or adopted too early, such technical standardization can also inhibit desired innovation and competition. 

Their appropriate balance is therefore critical to advancing both important goals. The challenges in finding this delicate equilibrium point are being tested (pun intended) now as the U.S. Department of Education and its two Race to the Top Assessment (RTTA) grantee consortia — SBAC and PARCC – consider the scope and form of their deliverables and technology (interoperability) standards.

The $350 million RTTA initiative promises to bring important technology-enabled innovation to assessment — including many long available but not often implemented by states — through the online delivery of more robust (i.e., comprehensive, authentic, timely and adaptive) measurement of student knowledge and skills to inform teaching, learning and accountability. Leveraging this innovation will require changes to teaching and learning, technology investment, interoperability development and adoption, and limits on the scope of RTTA development.

In response to an important RFI by the Department regarding the technology standards to be employed by the RTTA consortia, SIIA supported the requirement that RTTA grantees “maximize the interoperability of assessments across technology platforms and the ability for States to switch their assessments from one technology platform to another.” RTTA could provide the tipping point to K-12 education’s adoption of data and content interoperability standards (see SIIA Primer) that would, for example, enable and maximize our ability to personalize learning.

But these benefits will only be realized if interoperability is properly implemented, and if standardization is balanced with innovation. SIIA’s recommendations to USED (and the RTTA consortia) elaborated on both points. [Read more...]

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Race to Redesign Education for Personalized Learning

June 9, 2010 By

While much of the national education attention has been focused on Race to the Top (RttT), a growing movement is focused on the race to redesign our education system before it becomes too outdated to meet our students’ and nation’s needs in today’s digital society and knowledge economy. The reforms in RttT are necessary, but most would agree are not sufficient. We must educate to innovate, but just as importantly, we must innovate to educate. In response, SIIA, in collaboration with ASCD and the Council of Chief State School Officers, is convening 150 education leaders for the invitation-only “Innovate to Educate: A Symposium on [Re]Design for Personalized Learning.”

Leading foundations (e.g., Nellie Mae), associations (e.g., CCSSO) and non-profits (e.g., RISC) are challenging our long-standing notions of education, while local (e.g., Adams 50 School District, CO) and state education leaders are accepting the challenge. Recognition that our assembly-line, agrarian-calendar based model (symbolized by a classrooom of students in rows of desks) is unchanged since the industrial age a century ago and calls for anytime, anywhere, anypace personalized learning are not new. What has changed? As the new U.S. Department of Education Report “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology” recognizes, what has changed is our ability to respond with an ever more sophisticated arsenal of research, alternative models and technologies. A number of initiatives are leading the way, but as is often the case in education, they are too often isolated and not at scale.

The SIIA-ASCD-CCSSO Symposium will bring together SIIA members with national, state and local education leaders. They will develop a common vision, share models and practices, identify key policy and systems change enablers, and spec the technology, curriculum and human resources needed to power this student-centered customized learning system. Perhaps more importantly, they will continue building a community of practice needed to further develop the vision, models and tools and an action network to drive the change of policy and practice.

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U.S. Education Secretary Duncan: “technology enables us to respond as never before”

March 24, 2010 By

Amid the flurry of recent federal policy activity around education and the role of technology, SIIA’s successful 2010 Ed Tech Government Forum seems a distant memory.  A record 100 SIIA members participated in two full days of discussion with national education leaders on topics critical to the education sector. 

2010 Conference Photo Album & Session Summaries 

Among the highlights were U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s first speech focused on technology. 

The Secretary challenged SIIA member publishers and developers of technology-based educational interventions:  “As providers of educational products and services, you have a huge impact on—and share a huge stake in—the success of America’s students. So, I ask you to join the great endeavor to not just reform education but to transform it. I challenge you to put your talent and ingenuity to work to equip 21st century students with 21st century skills.”

And the Secretary laid out the opportunity:  “As research gives us new insights into how today’s students learn, and technology enables us to respond as never before, you can help lead the way in providing a model for 21st century learning.”

The Secretary spoke at a joint forum before members of SIIA and the Association of American Publishers (AAP).  SIIA and AAP issued a joint statement to “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.”            

The Forum also featured visits to 200 Congressional offices to advocate for federal school technology with partners CoSN, ISTE and SETDA representing state and local educators and administrators. 

SIIA members can review summaries of all the conference sessions, including on Race to the Top and i3, Title I and School Improvement, the Obama College Initiatives, ESEA reauthorization, Common Core implementation, and Government OER Initiatives.

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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.

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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...]

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