News
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Tracy S. Weeks, Ph.D.
Executive Director
SETDA
202-715-6636 x700
[email protected]
SETDA Releases New Online Toolkit to Guide the Selection of Quality Instructional Materials
From Print to Digital: Guide to Quality Instructional Materials
February 9, 2017 (Washington D.C.) Today, SETDA, the principal membership association representing the U.S. state and territorial digital learning leaders announced the release of a new online toolkit, From Print to Digital: Guide to Quality Instructional Materials (http://www-setda-org.www.setda.org). Developed in collaboration with state and district digital learning leaders, instructional materials directors and academic officers, this guide provides states, districts and schools with research, resources and exemplars to support selection of quality instructional materials for learning. The Guide to Quality Instructional Materials provides information to establish or enhance state level review processes and provides guidance to districts for both core-content and supplemental resources, including print and digital resources. In this toolkit, SETDA identifies and explains the key steps in this process — planning, budget, selection, implementation, and effectiveness, with specific details of several state and district vetting processes.
“SETDA is proud to have developed this unique, useful tool in collaboration with state leaders from a variety of agencies to help ensure quality materials are purchased and procured to meet the needs of all students,” stated Dr. Tracy Weeks, Executive Director, SETDA. “States have the ability to provide leadership for Local Education Agencies and schools regardless of state procurement policies so that every student has access to quality materials for learning.”
“Every student deserves access to high-quality instructional materials to best prepare for college and careers. As our educational ecosystem shifts to digital learning, now more than ever it is critical to provide guidance for states, districts, schools and teachers to support the implementation of standards based, quality instructional materials. This resource can support teachers and students in California,” noted Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education.
“As school districts and educators in Oklahoma transition to innovative, 21st-century learning experiences to accelerate student learning, the need for high-quality digital instructional materials becomes more and more critical. SETDA’s new guide will help ensure that digital materials implemented in our classrooms, and across the country, are high quality and aligned to state standards,” shared Joy Hofmeister, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Online Community: Complementing this resource is a new online community of practice to provide policy makers, school administrators, leaders and educator with a better understanding of policies and practices related to digital instructional materials. The community, Essential Elements for Digital Content, is free and open to the public. The community will engage in and encourage dialogue about the shift to digital including the vetting process, accessibility, professional learning, OER, procurement, implementation and infrastructure. http://www.edweb.net/digitalcontent
About SETDA
Founded in 2001, SETDA is the national non-profit association representing the interests of U.S. state and territorial educational technology leadership. SETDA’s 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 https://www.setda.org.
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