Education Department picks partners for K-12 tech strategy refresh
The U.S. Department of Education has selected four nonprofit organizations to lead the development of its next National Educational Technology Plan
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), InnovateEDU, Learning Forward and Project Tomorrow will work with the Office of Educational Technology to determine how federal technology and connectivity investments could be leveraged to help K-12 schools create better and more effective learning opportunities for students and teachers.
“All of our partners represent different areas of expertise in the education ecosystem,” read a tweet from SEDTA announcing the contract. “We believe that divergent perspectives can inspire creativity and drive innovation. Our diversity will lead to developing a stronger, more widely accessible, inclusive plan for all students.”
A recent survey of state edtech leaders conducted by SEDTA found that only a handful of U.S. states and territories are seen to be providing sufficient funding to tackle the growing cyberthreats against K-12 schools and that cybersecurity is one of edtech leaders’ top priorities.
In a request for proposals earlier this year, the Department of Education said it was looking for support to develop, write and revise the new edtech plan, which is intended to “inspire research, development, and innovation in the use of technology to enhance students learning and enhance the ability of schools and districts to support and evaluate that leaning.”
The National Educational Technology Plan was first written in 1996, and last updated in 2017. The Office of Edtech had started the process of updating the plan in 2019, but delayed that work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
