April 2007 — News
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Report: States Fill In for Feds in Ed Tech
Online and Virtual Learning
The SETDA report also evaluated funding for online, distance, and virtual learning programs. According tot he organization, 24 states do provide funding for these categories. Of those states, funding varies widely, from a low of $25,000 to a high of $8.9 million. Three of these states offer funding at levels higher than $5 million, and these three states account for about 48 percent of total state funding for online/distance programs. Eleven of these states fund at less than $1 million and account for $5.3 million of the total funding. In between were 10 states that provided funding between $1 million and $5 million, totaling $17.6 million between them.
Total funding for all 24 states that provide funding for online, virtual, and distance learning was $44.4 million. Definitions of costs varied by states, with some including hardware and connectivity in addition to the other costs associated with offering online courses.
Other Funding
The study also looked at alternative means of funding by states. In addition to those noted above, 31 states provide funding for technology that is not specifically flagged as "educational technology" spending. These states provide funding that can be used to purchase "end-user technology, curriculum, or hardware and software used by teachers and students," according to the report.
Examples of this, cited from the report, include:
- California, which will provide $100 million in grants next year to local districts for the purchase of library materials, curriculum materials, or educational technology
- Illinois, which offers a School Technology Revolving Loan Program, allowing schools to borrow money from the state to support technology infrastructure;
- Iowa, which has the Iowa Learning Technology pilot program, for evaluating technology in schools, assessing impact on students, and encouraging professional development integration;
- Maryland, which allows school systems to use state funds to purchase educational technology through the Bridge to Excellence funding model; and
- South Dakota, in which local school districts can purchase laptops for high school students through a grant from Citibank.
"It is critical that funding for technology in schools remains a dedicated and targeted source to ensure adequate and equitable access for all students," the report concluded. "Students must be able to use technology to help them learn content and skills--so that they know how to think critically, solve problems, use information, communicate, innovate, and collaborate. Without appropriate and adequate technology in schools, students lack opportunities to learn skills that are critical for success in work and life in the 21st century."
Further details can be found in the SETDA report, which is available to the public at the link below.
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About the author: Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's educational technology online publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com.
Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at dnagel@1105media.com.
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