Goal
The goal of this tool is to provide strategies and materials that SETDA members can use to promote educational technology and it’s effectiveness in teaching and learning to state legislatures.
 
Process
Each year, SETDA utilizes a collaborative process between its membership and the corporate community to determine areas of interest.  As a result of this process, SETDA developed the State Advocacy toolkit to help SETDA members and other stakeholders promote the effective use of educational technology in teaching and learning to state legislatures.  SETDA believes that state legislatures have the ability and desire to ensure that all students are ready to compete in the 21st century.  However, we also know that they are unaware of many of the innovative approaches for teaching and learning that could be replicated within their states.
A working group of SETDA members and corporate representatives met monthly via conference call to discuss and refine the components of this tool.  Initial discussions included defining the goals of this tool and the selection of successful approaches to highlight.  Throughout this process, the group provided input and feedback for innovative programs, sample documents, and overall messaging.

Components
The tool provides a national perspective on education’s role in global competitiveness and discusses how schools of today need to be different than schools of yesterday.  Tips for advocating with policymakers, education leaders, and community members are included in the tool, as well as mechanisms for sharing the benefits, and innovative funding approaches.  The tool highlights three areas where educational technology approaches have been successful in modernizing teaching and learning:

Within each of these areas, the tool includes:

• How these approaches support systemic change in teaching and learning
• Program examples with links to websites
• Essential conditions for success
• Program successes
• Demonstrated achievement gains
• Leadership documents
• Sample letters
• Power point presentations
• Testimony
• Case Studies
• Resources