For Immediate Release

CONTACT
Tracy S. Weeks, Ph.D.
Executive Director
SETDA
202-715-6636 x700
[email protected]

SETDA Releases Navigating the Digital Shift 2018:
Broadening Student Learning Opportunities

State Leadership, Acquisition Policies, Accessibility and Equitable Access of High-Quality Instructional Materials Transforms Learning in the Digital Age

May 30  (Washington, D.C.) – SETDA, the principal membership association of the U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders, today announced the launch of Navigating the Digital Shift 2018: Broadening Student Learning Opportunities. As states and districts continue to shift to implement digital instructional materials, the report highlights how state policies and guidance are supporting the transformation, specifically the policies and processes around the selection, curation, accessibility, procurement and funding of digital instructional materials.

“With the continued shift to digital instructional materials, state leaders embrace the potential for personalized learning for all students,” stated Tracy Weeks, Executive Director, SETDA. “In the report, SETDA shares how states are balancing this shift considering equity of access, accessibility for all students, interoperability, and student data and privacy issues.”

“For Michigan to become a Top 10 education state in 10 years, digital instructional materials, including openly licensed educational resources (OER), are the key to ensuring equitable access to relevant, up-to-date curriculum resources. Districts, Intermediate School Districts (ISDs), strategic partners and state leadership are essential components of this shift. The guidance in the report helps Michigan and the state’s strategic partners better implement digital instructional materials.” Venessa A. Keesler, Ph.D., Deputy Superintendent, Division of Educator, Student, and School Supports, Michigan Department of Education.

“Shifting to digital materials is a process and requires state leadership in all aspects including the vetting and procurement process. Texas school districts rely on the state’s leadership to assist them in selecting high-quality instructional materials. This report not only highlights individual states but also examples of digital learning in action via school and district exemplars.” Lori Gracey, Executive Director, TCEA.

SETDA’s research reveals that federal and state policies increasingly support the shift to digital. States are providing guidance, definitions and vetting policies and practices for digital materials to help ensure that digital materials are available to learners via devices anywhere, anytime.

Join the release webinar on May 30 at 4pm ET. Registration is available at https://home.edweb.net/webinar/digitalcontent20180530/

The Full Report and Document will be available here:  https://www.setda.org/priorities/digital-content/navigating-the-digital-shift2018

Complementing this paper is the updated Digital Instructional Materials Acquisition Policies for States (DMAPS) online portal, which provides full profiles for each state’s instructional materials policies and practices and an interactive map to view national trends. The DMAPS site is available here: http://www-setda-org.www.setda.org.

In addition, SETDA hosts the Essential Elements for Digital Content, a free online community to encourage dialogue about the shift to digital including the vetting process, accessibility, professional learning, OER, procurement, implementation and infrastructure.

About SETDA

Founded in 2001, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal non-profit membership association representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders. Our mission is to build and increase the capacity of state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice. For more information, please visit: setda.org.