The State EdTech Trends survey and report is the first attempt to track how state education agencies and policymakers are adapting to a digital world post-pandemic while also identifying state priorities relating to technology and education.
From December 2020 through January 2021, SETDA and Dell Technologies designed and shared a survey to understand better the data that states have captured related to digital equity. Thirty-four (34) states and the territory of Guam responded. Questions on the survey focused on data collected during the 2020 – 21 school year by state education agencies (SEAs).
Learn more about how to collect and interpret digital equity data, by reading the findings of the SETDA and Dell Equitable Access Survey Report.
Selecting and purchasing education technology (ed tech) products that are accessible to students with disabilities requires engaging a variety of stakeholders throughout the five-phase process described in our original guidance on procurement (June 2019).
During the rapid transition to distance learning in response to COVID-19, decisions were made quickly to keep staff and students safe and healthy, educate students remotely, and finish the school year amid the crisis. As planning for the next school year begins, leaders and educators can use this opportunity to make more strategic decisions about ed tech that are inclusive and designed to benefit all learners, including those with disabilities.
The Congressional Research Service issued the following report highlighting models of state broadband leadership and solutions to inform plans around efficiently delivering broadband to all areas, especially under-served regions:
State Broadband Initiatives: Selected State and Local Approaches as Potential Models for Federal Initiatives to Address the Digital Divide
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46307
The report is a close cousin to SETDA’s various iterations of The Broadband Imperative and highlights the great work of many of our SETDA members. We may want to lean on its content to shine a light on our own best-practices programs and argue for CARES Act and other funding sources to expand broadband in our states and regions.
Data is a powerful tool to empower educators, researchers, parents, schools, and students. At the core of interoperability is a focus on optimally informed instruction and a student-centered learning experience unlocked by insights that educators can glean from securely connecting student data. Educational landscapes are changing, approaches to instruction are evolving, and infrastructure is adapting to meet technological and instructional demands to advance student success.
Join CoSN, ISTE, SETDA, and SIIA for a Summit focusing on the critical role of technology in transforming education. This year we’ll be focused on shaping decision makers’ opinions about the future of the E-rate, student data privacy, edtech appropriations, and the homework gap. With Congress and the political landscape shifting, this year’s Summit provides a new opportunity to tell your story about how digital learning benefits your students, teachers, families, and communities.
Updated in 2019 (originally launched in October 2015), the goal of the DMAPS portal is to provide a clear picture of each state’s instructional materials policies and practices to help encourage increased implementation of digital learning. Educators, policy makers and private sector executives have the opportunity to learn about state policies and practices related to digital learning, instructional materials, procurement, and professional learning.
