Broadband and Policies - EdTech Update

Ensuring Access to Robust Broadband for ALL Students

Doug Levin

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Benjamin Herold of Education Week has put together a real cracker of a series on the challenges of ensuring school broadband access in rural communities – and how E-rate (pre- and post-modernization) is helping to address the situation.

Broadband

Broadband E-rate Accessibility Advocacy

7 things supporting broadband best practices

eSchool News

MAY 27, 2019

State leadership can have a powerful impact on broadband best practices in K-12 schools–and a new report highlights success stories and strong policies supporting broadband connectivity. ” Key elements in broadband best practices. ” Key elements in broadband best practices.

Broadband

Broadband Policies Report Accessibility

Maine Draft State Broadband Action Plan Focuses On Closing Affordability Gap

Education Superhighway

JUNE 28, 2023

This month, Maine became one of the first states to share their draft Broadband Action Plans and companion Digital Equity Plan as part of the $42.45 The state plan pays particular attention to tackling the broadband affordability gap , which makes up two-thirds of America’s digital divide. Maine State Broadband Action Plan, Section 2.2

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Internet Safety Policies

Breaking Down the FCC’s Latest Broadband Brouhaha

Edsurge

JULY 11, 2019

Broadband policy is dense, and many of the articles and statements on the subject are frankly hard to follow. Previously this band was only available to education institutions—known as the Educational Broadband Service, or EBS for short. radio, TV, mobile data, broadband. Wait, I said start at the beginning.

Broadband

Broadband Policies Company Libraries

NTIA NOFO Prioritizes Broadband Affordability Gap and Connecting Unserved Households in MDUs

Education Superhighway

MAY 19, 2022

Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released three Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program ($42.5 billion) ; Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program ($1 billion) ; and, State Digital Equity Act programs ? ($1.5

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Policies Strategy

OPINION: How targeted federal action could finally chip away at the broadband racism faced by Black students

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Even after service providers launched discounts for broadband services during the pandemic — often targeting online learning — Black Americans across the South saw little change in their access to broadband services. But nowhere is the digital divide larger than in the Black rural South. Add the bill’s $14.25 Add the bill’s $14.25

Broadband

Broadband E-rate Digital Divide Accessibility

The Pandemic Fueled Gains in Digital Equity. But for Native Tribes, It’s Complicated.

Edsurge

MAY 1, 2024

Broadband — high-speed internet — is critical for learning. And the pandemic focused attention on inequitable access to broadband services in education. In 2020, by one federal estimate, 18 percent of people living on tribal lands were unable to access broadband (outside of tribal areas, that number was closer to 4 percent).

Broadband

Broadband E-rate Accessibility Company

Broadband Provides More Equitable Access to Education and Workforce Preparation

edWeb.net

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

And, that makes access to adequate and reliable broadband even more important as the development of new technologies continues. Marc Johnson, Executive Director of East Central Minnesota Educational Cable Cooperative (ECMECC), then provided perspective from a regional and local level on the expanding use of broadband. About the Host.

Broadband

Broadband Accessibility Instructional Materials Education

Raising Bids to Raise the Bar in Edtech

eSchool News

MARCH 28, 2024

A large part of CoSN’s mission is to participate in edtech-related policy discussions at both national and state levels. Policy initiatives are structured around CoSN’s focus on four critical policy areas: E-rate and broadband access in classrooms, educational technology funding, privacy and data security, and digital equity.

E-rate

E-rate EdTech Broadband Advocacy

edFocus Policy Update | Summer Federal Funding Surge in DC

edWeb.net

AUGUST 4, 2021

Read the Policy Update from our July edFocus issue , written by Jon Bernstein, President of Bernstein Strategy Group. This framework includes approximately $65 billion in broadband funding but it remains unclear how those funds will be disseminated—to states directly, via a federal government grant process—and how they will be spent.

Policies

Policies Broadband Libraries Strategy

Racial segregation is one reason some families have internet access and others don’t, new research finds

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 14, 2021

Since before the pandemic, Benjamin Skinner has been researching broadband access and how lack of home internet impacts students’ ability to do online work. Last summer, Skinner and his colleagues at University of Florida, professor Hazel Levy and doctoral candidate Taylor Burtch, began researching broadband history and differences in access.

Accessibility

Accessibility Broadband Digital Divide Policies

Revised Federal Edtech Plan Calls for Closing Digital Divides

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

There are some attempts to plug the cavernous hole that would leave in funding broadband advances. I feel like we’re all running this marathon,” says An-Me Chung, the director of teaching, learning and tech at New America and strategic advisor to the organization’s education policy program.

Digital Divide

Digital Divide EdTech Broadband E-rate

State Leadership Working Towards Broadband Access for All

edWeb.net

MAY 1, 2019

If the workday of an adult typically requires seamless broadband access, then it’s reasonable that today’s students need the same access during their school day. The key is the state leadership to make broadband accessible to all. More important, states are starting to recognize the need for equitable access off site.

Broadband

Broadband Accessibility E-rate Mobility

A school district is building a DIY broadband network

The Hechinger Report

JUNE 12, 2017

But Bredder can’t give students the tool he considers most indispensable to 21st-century learning — broadband internet beyond school walls. They’re building their own countywide broadband network. This is an equity issue,” said Bredder. “If The hardware on the towers then blasts that connection about 10 miles into the valley below.

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Accessibility Blackboard

The Digital Divide Has Narrowed, But 12 Million Students Are Still Disconnected

Edsurge

JANUARY 27, 2021

In the months that followed, many states and school districts mobilized, using federal CARES Act funding, broadband discounts and partnerships with private companies to connect their students and enable online learning. Policy should enable bulk purchasing with transparent, affordable pricing and digital inclusion support,” the authors argue.

Digital Divide

Digital Divide Broadband Report Accessibility

Congress Debates New Stimulus, With Money for Education – and Potentially Broadband – In Mind

Marketplace K-12

JULY 24, 2020

The post Congress Debates New Stimulus, With Money for Education – and Potentially Broadband – In Mind appeared first on Market Brief. Congressional lawmakers this week started working on the next coronavirus stimulus package, which will have major funding implications for K-12 education.

Broadband

Broadband Education Policies Technology

Millions of Students Are Still Without WiFi and Tech—Why Haven’t Policymakers Stepped Up?

Edsurge

JUNE 11, 2021

It’s time for states to step up and realize that proper technology and WiFi connectivity are a must-have in public school districts, and that state policy is dangerously lagging behind. COVID-19 shed light on the huge gap in policy relating to tech and infrastructure provisioning—what many are now referring to as a civil rights issue.

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide E-rate Policies

Rural Broadband Month: Encouraging Equal Access to Digital Learning

Education Superhighway

AUGUST 1, 2017

In a July 2017 statement , FCC Chairman Ajit Pai designated August as Rural Broadband Month at the agency. typically don’t have ready access to museums or science centers, and if their school can’t get reliable, affordable broadband, it’s unlikely that its students will have access to good Internet. at home either.

Broadband

Broadband Accessibility Digital Learning E-rate

A community broadband approach to closing the connectivity gap

Education Superhighway

MARCH 19, 2019

Jojo Myers Campos is the state broadband development manager and has been working on the Nevada Connect Kids Initiative for the past two years. After years of research, Jojo and her team proposed solving the problem through community broadband upgrades – bringing together stakeholders across towns to build business cases for upgrades.

Broadband

Broadband E-rate Social Media Survey

To Improve Education, We Need to Look at the Last 50 Years, Not Just the Last 18 Months

Edsurge

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

To evolve our education system and improve student outcomes for good, we need to reevaluate our policy-making decisions from the last 50-plus years—not just the last 18 months—while also looking forward to what students need to learn to be successful in the future. Why on Earth should we go back to pre-COVID education policies and systems?

Policies

Policies Broadband Trends Education

Possible ‘Fraud, Theft, Waste, and Abuse’: Report Questions NYC School Broadband Spending

Edsurge

MAY 22, 2017

Gamino, New York City’s Chief Technology Officer, in an interview with EdSurge earlier this month, noting his office’s desire to close the “homework gap” caused by lack of broadband connection in homes. And about 62 percent said they were not aware of tools created to help them manage their internet use and request bandwidth upgrades.

Broadband

Broadband Report Chromebook Survey

Here’s What Schools Can Do For the Millions of Students Without Internet Access

Edsurge

MARCH 20, 2020

And among those who do have access, not all have a broadband connection. If the coronavirus keeps schools shuttered into the fall, it may be better to start improving the country’s physical broadband infrastructure as a way to ensure lasting connectivity. But these are short-term solutions, acknowledges John Windhausen, Jr.,

Accessibility

Accessibility Broadband E-rate Smartphone

Digital Divide 2.0: a few facts and figures

Neo LMS

JANUARY 4, 2018

We have seen elsewhere in the development of revolutionary technologies that administrators, government, NGOs and policy-makers lag behind the avant-garde of tech development and adoption; (reference cell phones, e-commerce, self-driving cars, the sharing economy, crypto currencies etc.) Income vs. Access: The Digital Divide in the US.

Digital Divide

Digital Divide Broadband Mobility BYOD

New Law Nixing Broadband Privacy Protections Stirs K-12 Fears

Marketplace K-12

APRIL 6, 2017

The post New Law Nixing Broadband Privacy Protections Stirs K-12 Fears appeared first on Market Brief. A new signed by President Trump that scales back privacy regulations on internet service providers could undermine safeguards for K-12 schools, critics say.

Broadband

Broadband Policies Data

EducationSuperHighway Establishes No Home Left Offline Coalition

Education Superhighway

AUGUST 29, 2022

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated over $45 billion to states for broadband deployment through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity Act (DEA) programs. To join, email Scott Quinn, Director of Government Affairs and Policy, at scott@educationsuperhighway.org.

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Advocacy Policies

FCC Revokes Decision Allowing Companies to Provide Low-Income Families With Subsidized Broadband

Marketplace K-12

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

The FCC has halted a policy that would allow some companies to provide subsidized broadband to low-income households, with the agency's new chair saying he wants to ensure the program is free of waste, first.

Broadband

Broadband Company Policies Accessibility

Simple Assessment Highlights the Importance of BEAD Challenge Process to Affordable MDUs

Education Superhighway

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

EducationSuperHighway conducted a desktop assessment in Colorado that highlighted the importance of states following NTIA’s guidance to go beyond the FCC National Broadband Map to determine the connectivity status of MDUs that could benefit from Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding.

Assessment

Assessment Broadband Digital Divide Data

Rural Broadband Month: Encouraging Equal Access to Digital Learning

Education Superhighway

AUGUST 1, 2017

In a July 2017 statement , FCC Chairman Ajit Pai designated August as Rural Broadband Month at the agency. typically don’t have ready access to museums or science centers, and if their school can’t get reliable, affordable broadband, it’s unlikely that its students will have access to good Internet. at home either.

Broadband

Broadband Accessibility Digital Learning E-rate

Partner Spotlight: United Way of Greater Cincinnati

Education Superhighway

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

We spoke with UWGC’s Public Policy and Advocacy Associate, Nina Neto , who told us about their work and how they also sprang into action as it became clear that ACP renewal funding was in jeopardy. We also work in partnership with the state’s broadband office, Broadband Ohio.

Advocacy

Advocacy Broadband Libraries Policies

How schools can help students overcome the digital divide

eSchool News

OCTOBER 20, 2023

Data shows multiple disconnects between what parents pointed to as actual barriers to broadband adoption versus what teachers perceived as parents’ barriers to adoption. They can also learn about which schools have the lowest broadband adoption rates in their area.

Digital Divide

Digital Divide Broadband Survey Outcomes

FCC changes its rules, puts educational spectrum up for open auction

The Hechinger Report

JULY 18, 2019

In Albemarle County, Virginia, where school officials estimate up to 20 percent of students lack home broadband, radio towers rise above an apple orchard on Carters Mountain, outside Charlottesville. Reg Leichty, legal and policy consultant for CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking). Photo: Chris Berdik.

Broadband

Broadband Education Policies Digital Divide

The affordability gap is the biggest part of the digital divide

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Most of these households, he said, “have infrastructure available at their home but they just can’t afford to sign up for a broadband service.” Only a third of those without broadband access blame a lack of infrastructure; the remaining two thirds without access say they can’t afford it, Marwell said.

Digital Divide

Digital Divide Broadband Report Trends

E-rate insight protects school technology infrastructure

eSchool News

MARCH 18, 2024

Since then, the program has transformed to help schools and libraries connect to high-speed broadband. However, many districts find it challenging to engage in long-term planning without outside consultation or tools that help them evaluate their programs and stay abreast of the latest E-rate policy changes.

E-rate

E-rate Technology Libraries Broadband

Reflections on 50 years of Game-Based Learning (Part 3)

Edsurge

JANUARY 3, 2023

Tailwinds: An Enabling Ecosystem A baseline enabling condition for game-based learning is access to computers and broadband. COVID has also accelerated funding for broadband in underserved neighborhoods. Proponents of game-based learning have good reason to be optimistic—but also cautious.

Game-Based Learning

Game-Based Learning Broadband Learning Company

Kajeet Awards $550,000 To 22 Organizations for Purchasing Connectivity Solutions That Drive Digital Inclusion in Education

eSchool News

JUNE 23, 2022

To further the mission of closing the Digital Divide for students across the United States, each grant recipient will receive up to $25,000, which they may use for any combination of Kajeet Education Broadband solutions, including WiFi hotspots, school bus WiFi, LTE-embedded Chromebooks and routers.

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Chromebook Libraries

Connecticut Gives Every Student a Computer and Home Internet to Close the Digital Divide

Edsurge

DECEMBER 15, 2020

Even before the pandemic, more than 25 million Americans lacked access to broadband internet. But even that wasn’t enough to completely close the divide, says Doug Casey, the executive director at the Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology, who heads the home broadband part of the program.

Digital Divide

Digital Divide Broadband Laptops Libraries

OPINION: Historically underserved school districts in Mississippi were hit hard in the pandemic and need immediate help

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 29, 2023

percent, of households in the Black Rural South do not have broadband of at least 25 Mbps — the minimum standard for broadband internet. But it’s not just a Mississippi trend. According to a national study of the Black Rural South , nearly three-quarters, or 72.6

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Report Guidelines

What the FCC Should Do Now to Support America and Our Learners

Edsurge

APRIL 22, 2020

We are thankful for those who broadcast the news and the broadband providers that have opened their networks, lifted data caps and fees, and promised not to discontinue service. Broadband providers are facing unprecedented pressure to deliver reliable connectivity as more of our economy shifts online. These are positive things.

Broadband

Broadband E-rate Data Accessibility

Survey: Cyber Security, Broadband and Budget Key Concerns for School Tech Leaders

techlearning

MARCH 12, 2018

The results show that school leaders place a high priority on cyber security and broadband / network capacity. Top findings from the report: Cyber security and broadband / network capacity are the top priorities for IT leaders.

Broadband

Broadband Survey Trends Report

Congress is cutting the funds that could have closed the homework gap

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 13, 2021

million broadband connections, according to the FCC. Our ability to keep our kids connected with home broadband access, I believe, is one of the most significant issues that we’re grappling with right now.”. They argue funding for high-speed internet and connected devices needs to be a permanent part of federal policy.

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Libraries Accessibility

Educational Technology Serves Equity When Used with Purpose

Edsurge

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Advocating for changes that would uproot the foundation of long-standing institutions, policies and practices can quickly begin to feel like an uphill battle, no matter how many educators are working for the cause. students still lack the broadband capability necessary for digital learning.

Technology

Technology Broadband Education Personalized Learning

How a passion for policy helped an educator get more funding for technology in schools

Education Superhighway

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

This broadband leader has always had a passion for policy – especially when it came to funding for technology in schools. Tech directors are putting themselves at a disadvantage if they do not stay in tune with policy conversations happening in their district. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Policies

Policies Technology Advocacy E-rate

Biden’s School Reopening Plan Promises More Funding, Clearer Guidance for Local Decision-Making

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 10, 2020

The plan also aims to increase the funding available for K-12 schools to address budget shortfalls, retain jobs, implement safety measures, and improve technology and broadband access. Biden’s team hopes that with clearer guidance and more funding, school leaders will have what they need to craft their own reopening policies.

Broadband

Broadband Policies Personalized Learning Analysis

Getting kids online by making internet affordable

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

On October 12, EducationSuperHighway released its second No Home Left Offline report, which highlights the barriers that continue to stand in the way of internet access for millions of Americans and lays out what states need to do to help connect families to broadband. In total, 51.6

Broadband

Broadband Digital Divide Report Accessibility

Ensuring Access to Robust Broadband for ALL Students

7 things supporting broadband best practices

Trending Sources

Maine Draft State Broadband Action Plan Focuses On Closing Affordability Gap

Breaking Down the FCC’s Latest Broadband Brouhaha

NTIA NOFO Prioritizes Broadband Affordability Gap and Connecting Unserved Households in MDUs

OPINION: How targeted federal action could finally chip away at the broadband racism faced by Black students

The Pandemic Fueled Gains in Digital Equity. But for Native Tribes, It’s Complicated.

Broadband Provides More Equitable Access to Education and Workforce Preparation

Raising Bids to Raise the Bar in Edtech

edFocus Policy Update | Summer Federal Funding Surge in DC

Racial segregation is one reason some families have internet access and others don’t, new research finds

Revised Federal Edtech Plan Calls for Closing Digital Divides

State Leadership Working Towards Broadband Access for All

A school district is building a DIY broadband network

The Digital Divide Has Narrowed, But 12 Million Students Are Still Disconnected

Congress Debates New Stimulus, With Money for Education – and Potentially Broadband – In Mind

Millions of Students Are Still Without WiFi and Tech—Why Haven’t Policymakers Stepped Up?

Rural Broadband Month: Encouraging Equal Access to Digital Learning

A community broadband approach to closing the connectivity gap

To Improve Education, We Need to Look at the Last 50 Years, Not Just the Last 18 Months

Possible ‘Fraud, Theft, Waste, and Abuse’: Report Questions NYC School Broadband Spending

Here’s What Schools Can Do For the Millions of Students Without Internet Access

Digital Divide 2.0: a few facts and figures

New Law Nixing Broadband Privacy Protections Stirs K-12 Fears

EducationSuperHighway Establishes No Home Left Offline Coalition

FCC Revokes Decision Allowing Companies to Provide Low-Income Families With Subsidized Broadband

Simple Assessment Highlights the Importance of BEAD Challenge Process to Affordable MDUs

Rural Broadband Month: Encouraging Equal Access to Digital Learning

Partner Spotlight: United Way of Greater Cincinnati

How schools can help students overcome the digital divide

FCC changes its rules, puts educational spectrum up for open auction

The affordability gap is the biggest part of the digital divide

E-rate insight protects school technology infrastructure

Reflections on 50 years of Game-Based Learning (Part 3)

Kajeet Awards $550,000 To 22 Organizations for Purchasing Connectivity Solutions That Drive Digital Inclusion in Education

Connecticut Gives Every Student a Computer and Home Internet to Close the Digital Divide

OPINION: Historically underserved school districts in Mississippi were hit hard in the pandemic and need immediate help

What the FCC Should Do Now to Support America and Our Learners

Survey: Cyber Security, Broadband and Budget Key Concerns for School Tech Leaders

Congress is cutting the funds that could have closed the homework gap

Educational Technology Serves Equity When Used with Purpose

How a passion for policy helped an educator get more funding for technology in schools

Biden’s School Reopening Plan Promises More Funding, Clearer Guidance for Local Decision-Making

Getting kids online by making internet affordable

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