Digital Transformation

For years, the Dougherty County School System has been staffing classrooms virtually with teachers from other locations through Elevate K-12. Nationwide teacher shortages bode well for the longevity of the program.

The Federal Communications Commission has announced rules for its new Emergency Connectivity Fund, which will distribute $7.17 billion announced earlier this year for school broadband and devices.

Having invested more than $100 million in the online-only community college Calbright, launched in 2019, the state of California found only 12 students had graduated after the first year, with nearly 400 dropping out.

Counting on schools resuming in-person this fall, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal aims to hire teachers and counselors, fund transitional kindergarten and set up a college-savings program for low-income students.

The popularity of educational video games may warrant a committee to grade them for merit and usefulness, like the Entertainment Software Rating Board does for objectionable material like sex and violence.

To stem the loss of students looking for flexible or online learning options, the Vigo County School Corp. in Indiana wants to start a commercial, statewide program that could begin at the elementary level next year.

The rush to embrace new digital reading platforms and educational materials could have consequences for how students learn, as research shows people read faster but comprehend less with digital texts as opposed to print.

Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska have approved the purchase of more than 600 Chromebooks for its remote learning program, which the district has no plans to continue beyond the 2021-2022 academic year.

As the state legislature begins negotiations over next year’s budget, educators and elected officials are discussing whether to keep remote learning as an option once everyone goes back to school in the fall.

In partnership with the nonprofit Niswonger Foundation, the state will provide free online Advanced Placement courses to about 5,000 students. Officials say the program will reduce barriers to AP enrollment.

The state House has passed a bill that would require school districts to post teaching materials online, with critics raising concerns about the time commitment and parents meddling in curriculums.

As last year's drastic shift to online learning put technology front and center for school districts, many K-12 IT officials have found themselves in key advisory or leadership roles with growing responsibilities.

Running this week through Saturday, the third annual COSI Science Festival, hosted by the Center of Science and Industry, will involve free programming from universities, nonprofits, museums and other community groups.

The ed tech company is looking for teachers and administrators to participate in its sixth annual State of Technology in Education survey, which will assess adaptations schools have made in the past year.

More virtual schooling has meant more network vulnerabilities, and a webinar this week recommended that K-12 districts consider monitoring tools such as ManagedMethods to accomplish what limited IT staff cannot.

The youth sports advocacy group has partnered with the educational nonprofit TeachAids to share its CrashCourse software curriculum with athletes, parents, coaches and administrators in NCYS programs nationwide.

In an effort to retain students who learn better from home or have COVID-related health concerns, Hamilton Southeastern Schools in Indiana is preparing two virtual-only options for the coming school year.

Community and technical colleges are particularly well-suited to partnering with governments to bring broadband and digital literacy to underserved urban and rural communities.