Conference Blog 
SIIA Applauds President Obama and Senator Rockefeller for Proposal to Enhance E-Rate School Connectivity
Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:12
The Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee held a hearing today on the nomination of Mr. Thomas Wheeler to be Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (WV) used the occasion to highlight the priority of ensuring that the nation’s students and schools have access to digital learning opportunities through expansion of the E-Rate program. This effort received a significant boost recently when President Obama proposed his ConnectEd initiative, calling on the FCC to take steps to improve and extend the E-Rate.
SIIA strongly supports expansion of the E-Rate program, and applauds both President Obama and Senator Rockefeller for their proposals and leadership. Expanding the E-Rate program will help transform the educational experience for the nation’s students by expanding the availability of high-quality digital learning opportunities. Swift action on this initiative is also critical to support full implementation of new college- and career-ready standards and aligned online assessments.
SIIA President Ken Wasch commented today:
“The nation’s students and schools require modern tools to compete in an increasingly digital, connected and competitive world. SIIA applauds President Obama for his proposal to enhance the E-Rate program to ensure all students and educators can realize the educational benefits made possible by technology. SIIA calls on the Federal Communications Commission to act swiftly to ensure these increased resources can quickly and effectively be directed to teaching and learning objectives.”
SIIA supports and has championed increased public investments in education targeted to both improve access to, and enhance the use of, educational technologies. Learning technologies are needed to improve educational opportunities, student engagement and the personalization of learning. Yet, SIIA’s soon to be released 2013 Vision K-20 educator survey results found that, while their goal for access to robust bandwidth is 3.98 (on a 1-4 scale), educators rate their actual access as only 3.14. Similarly, their need for ubiquitous, wireless access to resources and services ranks as a 3.89, but their actual access is only a 2.64.
Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.
Momentum Growing for Federal Investment in Digital Learning
Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:53
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 Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.
Pending Senate Immigration Bill Advances High Tech Workforce Policies
Wed, 15 May 2013 20:50
The information technology industry, as well as the nation’s students and workforce, received an important policy boost this week when the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee passed an amendment to the pending immigration reform bill investing in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) views this support as a core element of the multi-pronged workforce policy solution needed to ensure the United States maintains its global economic competitiveness.
While information technologies continue to be the stalwart of the United States economy, our high tech companies have struggled to find an adequately skilled workforce and our students have struggled to obtain the necessary education and training.
As the U.S. Congress and President Obama advance immigration reform, as well as additional education and training programs, SIIA urges inclusion of the following policies:
- Investment in STEM education, including as provided by adoption of the Hatch amendment to the immigration bill this week, which will dedicate an estimated $100 million to U.S. Department of Education programs to help states boost STEM teaching and instruction (in addition to other STEM education funds directed to the National Science Foundation);
- Enhancement of the H-1B program to ensure that American companies can fill skilled jobs through foreign talent if a qualified American citizen is not available, including an increase in the arbitrary and insufficient caps as well as improvements to the process;
- Increasing the number of EB green cards for the best and brightest workers regardless of their country of origin, and easing the pathway for foreign students graduating from American institutions of higher education with STEM degrees to remain in and work in the United States immediately post-graduation; and
- Leveraging technology to redesign our secondary and postsecondary education system to increase learning opportunity and efficiency, moving from a system based on fixed time, place and pace of learning to one more customized around student’s individual needs and interest, including through investment in educational technology and digital learning.
Only with this multi-faceted policy agenda can the United States both address its current, short-term workforce needs while also growing the future pipeline needed to meet high tech workforce needs over the long-term.
Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.
SIIA Supports COPPA’s Extension of Schools as Consent Providers
Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:44
The Federal Trade Commission yesterday released its updated FAQs clarifying the amended rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) released in December, 2012. Included are several clarifications long championed by SIIA regarding the intersection of COPPA and children’s online activities in the school setting.
For those not familiar, in short, COPPA requires parental consent under certain conditions for the online collection of personal information from children under age 13. SIIA has long supported this important law for helping protect children’s privacy and safety, and has also worked with the FTC and other stakeholders to ensure COPPA implementation does not bring inappropriate or unintended consequences that limit technology innovation and the user experience.
According to the new COPPA FAQ:
- “COPPA does not preclude schools from acting as intermediaries between operators and parents in the notice and consent process, or from serving as the parent’s agent in the process of collecting personal information online from students in the school context.”
- “COPPA does not apply where a school has contracted with an operator to collect personal information from students for the use and benefit of the school, and for no other commercial purpose.”
These provisions are important to minimize the barriers to student access to instructional technologies and digital learning within the school context. Both extend on the role of schools as trusted agents of student learning, privacy and safety, including that governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as well as by Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) signed between parents and schools. They help provide for student’s seamless access to online teaching and learning opportunities in the timely manner needed to address their educational needs under the guidance of their teacher and school, and governing local school board policies. The alternative of requiring parental consent in each case would present a significant administrative barrier, potentially put certain students at an educational disadvantage when consent cannot be secured in a timely manner, and would often leave students and teachers unable to take advantage of a “teachable moment.”
While the continuation of these school provisions is welcome, the updated FAQs do include some new guidance that will require further analysis and consideration. For example, the FTC guidance now requires that: “. . . the operator must provide the school with full notice of its collection, use, and disclosure practices, so that the school may make an informed decision.” And the FTC separately describes what information a school “should” seek from an operator, including “What are the operator’s data retention and deletion policies for children’s personal information?”
SIIA members can review a more detailed summary and analysis on new COPPA regulations and guidance. [Updated May 9, 2013]
SIIA looks forward to working further with public officials, families, educators and digital learning providers to ensure that children have access to critical online learning opportunities and applications in an appropriately safe and secure manner. This includes SIIA’s ongoing work around FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), which governs educational institutions and agencies through the U.S. Department of Education and is referenced in the COPPA FAQ.
Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.
SIIA Policy Forum Supports Dialogue between Education Leaders and Technology Developers
Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:28
SIIA’s long tradition as liaison between education leaders and technology developers was continued recently at SIIA’s annual Ed Tech Government Forum in Washington, DC. The annual forum brings SIIA member developers of educational applications and digital content together with policymakers, administrators and non-profit leaders.
The discussions help both inform publishers about the impact of publich policies on education so they can better meet the needs of students and educators, as well as drive conversations regarding the public-private partnerships needed to address educational (technology) challenges and opportunities. This year’s forum was enhanced by the participation of some 75 local and state education administrators attending the second half of the event through SIIA’s partnership with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA).
Among the highlights this year:
- Keynote speakers U.S. Rep. George Miller, Mary Esselman (MI Achievement Authority), and Michael Yudin (USED Acting Assistant Secrtary) all spoke about the critical role of technology and digital learning to meeting the goals of educational access and personalized learning.
- Leaders from the PARCC and SBAC CCSS state assessment consortia solicited support to better prepare students for the new standards and assessments, talked through the challenges of ensuring technology readiness, and indicated that some states and districts may delay their shift to online testing.
- Leading policy analysts and advocates outlined the growing digital learning momentum in state capitals across the country, discussed the politics of education reform, and identified key policy initiatives in NC, AZ, HI, ME, LA and other states.
- Higher education leaders Amy Sherman (CAEL) and Hal Plotkin (USED) shared how federal policy changes are poised to drive a shift from seat-time credit hours to competency-based learning, including the expanding use of prior learning assessments to better target instruction and improve learning efficiencies in time and resources.
- FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel announced a package of proposed changes to the E-Rate, which would increase its funding, improve its administration, and enhance digital learning access to students and teachers.
- Capitol Hill advocacy day with education and industry leaders helping inform Members of Congress and their staffs about the important federal role in supporting educational improvement through technology and digital learning.
- Education leaders also addressed the issues of funding, NCLB waivers, ESEA reauthorization, and the balance between data-driven improvement and student privacy.
Speaker presentations, audio recordings and session summaries will be made available to SIIA members.
Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.
K-12 Education Technology Leaders and Policymakers Convene in Washington for ‘2013 Ed Tech Policy Summit’
Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:01
Last week, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), in conjunction with the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), co-hosted the 2013 Washington Education Technology Policy Summit. Bringing together 125 participants from more than 25 states, the annual summit featured remarks from policymakers and meetings with Members of Congress on education technology-related policy issues, including Common Core State Standards, Elementary and Secondary Education Act(ESEA) and E-Rate.
A centerpiece of the summit was an address by FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who laid out her “E-Rate 2.0” plan to summit participants: “Access to adequate broadband capacity in our schools and libraries is not a luxury – it is a necessity for our next generation to be able to compete… We need to protect what we have already done, build on it, and put this program on a course to provide higher speeds and greater opportunities in the days ahead.”
Rosenworcel’s five point proposal to “reboot, reinvigorate and recharge E-Rate” includes: 1) more funding; 2) clear capacity goals; 3) new and creative public-private partnerships; 4) a simpler process for applicants; and 5) a study of the impact of the FCC’s School Spots program closing the school-to-home digital learning gap. She concluded her remarks by saying: “E-Rate has already done so much good – and there is opportunity to do so much more.” The full speech can be found at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-320122A2.pdf.
Representative George Miller, Senior Democrat on the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, also addressed the gathering and thanked participants for their support for his recently introduced Transforming Education Through Technology Act (H.R. 521), which would advance digital learning environments.
CoSN, ISTE, SETA and SIIA issued the following statement:
We thank both Commissioner Rosenworcel and Representative Miller for their continued leadership in modernizing federal policies to ensure that all students gain access to the best digital education resources so necessary to their schooling and preparedness. Commissioner Rosenworcel’s bold proposal to remake and grow the E-Rate is much needed, while Congressman Miller’s proposed legislation would provide complementary educational resources and teacher support through the U.S. Department of Education. We look forward to working further with them and other national leaders to advance these critical policies.
The event concluded with Congressional visits on Capitol Hill, where summit participants advocated:
- Reestablishing a dedicated educational technology program in any Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization legislation now before Congress; and
- Raising the E-Rate’s annual cap to ensure that schools and libraries can provide a technological infrastructure that is sufficient to equip all students for college and careers.
Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA. Follow the SIIA Policy team on Twitter at @SIIAPolicy
Thanks for Making the Vision K-20 Survey a Success!
Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:17
The Vision K-20 Survey comes to a close today and SIIA could not have had another successful survey launch without the help of our partners. We are on track to match or exceed last year’s all time high of 1600 respondents. This year we have also opened up the survey to international educators to see how educators around the world rate themselves on the Vision K-20 technology goals.
Our major partner in the Vision K-20 Survey project this year has been MMS Education. They have helped us host, analyze, and present the results of the survey. The team at MMS has been a great benefit to this project.
Key development partner Sue Collins of CollinsConsults has provided guidance and industry expertise to the development of the survey. She has also played a big role in report writing and presentations at various industry events.
Stay tuned for a NEW version of the Vision K-20 Survey later this month! We are launching a BETA version that improves upon the current survey and will allow for more detailed and accurate results. With all of the new developments SIIA and our partners hope to provide more information in more meaningful ways to our members and the ed tech industry on the whole.
A big thanks to our promotional partners who have helped us spread the word about this important survey: Campus Technology, CoSN, Curriki, Digital Learning Day, District Administration, eCampusNews, edWeb, eSchoolNews, Global SchoolNet, ISTE, iPoPP, NISOD, SmartBrief, SXSWedu, TechLearning.com, The Big Deal Book, THE Journal, Today’s Catholic Teacher, University Business, and We The Teachers.
Lindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.
February’s What’s New in Common Core Standards & Assessments?
Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:26
In February data and pilots for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) became available. As the implementation date creeps closer, more decisions are being made, steps taken and information made available. To help SIIA members better track the details and trends, SIIA has created a monthly report for SIIA members on the newest and most relevant information, aggregated and summarized.
Highlights from this month include more information on accommodation regulations, an example of curriculum selection in New York, and pilot tests. These are all in the February CCSS document with summaries and links to more information for member companies and links to share with their client schools as they prepare for the transition.
The SIIA monthly series will contain information on both the major assessment organizations, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), as well as on the standards definitions and implementation. This will provide a comprehensive archive for members to access and reference.
Look for more updates by SIIA Education Policy in a month!
Meanwhile, SIIA members can review past SIIA webinars on CCSS, SBAC and PARCC, as well as register for SIIA’s Ed Tech Government Forum, April 9-11 in Washington, DC featuring several sessions addressing these issues.
Lindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division. Follow the Education team on twitter at @SIIAEducation
State of the States: What Governors are Saying about Digital Learning
Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:09
State policies, budgets and regulations have a significant impact on school implementation of educational technology. Since the beginning of the New Year, governors across the country have been delivering their State of the State speeches and presenting their budget proposals for the next fiscal year. As outlined in a new SIIA members-only report, education including technology was a key theme for many governors.
Many governors spoke of the importance of literacy and competency by 3rd grade, and some proposed additional spending for that goal. Common Core transition was less mentioned. There was more funding proposed for scholarship funds than for internal investments in higher education institutions and systems. Performance based funding was also a hot topic amongst the governors, and many proposed shifting of more funds into performance based formulas, especially in higher education. Flexible funding was another topic that many governors focused on and proposed in both speeches and budget proposals.
Specific digital technology funding and initiatives came from the speeches and budget proposals. Both Ohio and Arizona proposed $20 million in funding for 21st century assessments (PARCC & SBAC). Increased IT infrastructure funds were mentioned in budgets by Georgia, Arizona, & Florida. STEM education initiatives were proposed by Virginia, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Many governors encouraged in speeches or through funding the continued development of virtual higher education resources.
SIIA has produced a summary of the policy agendas and budgets from governors of the 15 most populous states, with a focus on their proposals regarding education technology. SIIA members can download the SIIA State of the States summary document for a state-by-state breakdown with links to the budget proposals and speeches. The importance of state funding is another topic to look for at the SIIA Ed Tech Government Forum April 9-11 in Washington DC, members should register to learn more.
Lindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.
New SIIA California State Report Highlights Impact of Prop 30 and Other California Programs
Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:42
After many years of budget crisis, California schools and colleges are expecting a much needed funding increase after voter passage in November of California Proposition 30. The measure increases taxes on the highest earners in California and distributes those funds into the “Education Protection Account.” A per-pupil increase of at least $200 is expected, though it is unclear if funds will simply go into the general education fund or will be earmarked for specific programs. In recent years, school districts have received funding flexibility in light of funding cuts, freeing up many previously restricted funds to be used for many locally-determined purposes, including for technology, content and software. SIIA’s recently released California State Report includes details of key state programs and funding.
Governor Brown released his budget plan in January 2013, calling for continued and increased funding of education mostly through additional flexible funds provided through Proposition 30. Look for an upcoming SIIA State of the States report for a summary of proposals by Governor Brown and governors in the 15 largest states.
The SIIA California State Report is the first in a new SIIA series of reports detailing the educational programs within the largest states. As the more populous state in the U.S. and the home of Silicon Valley, California is certainly one of the major education technology markets. While funding for education initiatives has been generally tight in California, this report contains valuable information to help companies navigate these murky waters. This report summarizes the key funding that local districts rely on, including for educational technologies and instructional resources. It also outlines the state agency structure with specialized programs, contact information, links, and descriptions of certain key policies and procedures such as around instructional materials.
This report is designed to be a one-stop navigation tool for member companies interested in operating within California. The California State report is available to SIIA members only. Look for more State Reports and updates from SIIA on our Education Policy Page. We also encourage members to register for SIIA’s Ed Tech Government Forum, April 9-11 in Washington, DC which will also address the role the of the state in education policy and funding.
Lindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.
