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In July, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the use of E-rate funds to loan Wi-Fi hotspots that support students, school staff, and library patrons without internet access. For an update on the 2025 E-rate, register for an eSchool News webinar featuring expert insight. It is 2024 in the United States.
The 14th annual E-rate Trends Report reveals the current successes and challenges of the E-rate program and evaluates how the program can most effectively support schools and libraries. “The E-rate program is crucial for modern education. “The E-rate program is crucial for modern education.
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.
CoSN 2018: How Your District Can Prepare for an E-Rate Audit. If you’re using E-rate funds , prepare to be reviewed or audited. Most people don’t know what E-rate is until something goes wrong.”. E-rate allowed for a lot of growth in connectivity,” she said. “It phil.goldstein_6191.
Teachers and students are well on their way to fulfilling the mission of seeing 99 percent of all schools connected to next-generation broadband, according to the “2018 State of States Report” from EducationSuperHighway. According to the agency’s 2018 Broadband Deployment Report , 88 percent of U.S. That’s the good news.
CoSN 2018: Broadband and Cybersecurity Are Top IT Concerns. Cybersecurity and broadband/network capacity are tied for the top priorities for IT leaders in 2018, while budget constraints were marked as one of the most pressing challenges for a fourth straight year. meghan.bogardu…. Tue, 03/13/2018 - 09:56.
As the CEO of Funds For Learning, I work alongside school leaders every daypeople who are fighting to close learning gaps, expand broadband access, and prepare the next generation for a world of rapid change. Since its inception: E-rate has delivered over $65 billion in discounts to schools and libraries.
While E-rate remains a crucial program for schools and libraries to ensure connectivity, the COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to the need for increased flexibility and funds for off-campus learning. Related content: How school librarians are getting creative in a pandemic. ” Key 2020 report findings include: 1.
No longer just a haven for dusty books and stern shushes, the library is now a place for digital resources and makerspaces and flexible learning. As such, modern libraries should be outfitted with robust broadband and plenty of places for students and educators to charge equipment. eli.zimmerman_9856. Thu, 11/08/2018 - 12:56.
The broadband gap isn’t only a problem for remote learning. And as video dominates online instruction, more educators need easy-to-use resources for video creation. That Broadband Gap Bar? schools had high-speed broadband connections. Early childhood” videos on YouTube nearly all have advertising.
Kajeet ’s ConnectEdNow campaign , announced in June, aims to make broadband access more affordable by providing students with portable Wi-Fi hotspot devices, a $200 mobile device subsidy and discounted data plans from Verizon , T-Mobile and other LTE providers. Broadband access still is limited in some rural areas. by Erin Brereton.
Without reliable connectivity, students and teachers lose access to the digital tools and resources that make learning engaging and relevant. “This year’s Trends Report indicates that the E-rate program is solid and steady,” said John Harrington, CEO of Funds For Learning.
Every year, schools and libraries have access to billions of dollars of funding through the FCC’s E-rate program. In this post I’ll break down the importance of E-rate, how it works, and the types of technologies it makes available that are crucial to education. The importance of E-rate.
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.
Despite the challenges ahead, we are here to provide connectivity and E-rate support during COVID-19. Here are a few ways the E-rate and broadband community is working to help connect your students during the crisis. State E-rate Coordinators Alliance (SECA). Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
In 2014, the Federal Communications Commission modernized the E-rate program with the objective of closing the K-12 digital divide within five years. This catalyzed a sea change in the broadband available in America’s schools. Why has E-rate modernization worked so well? Setting clear connectivity goals.
Sadly, though, the reality is that millions of Americans — in rural and urban areas alike, and including many underrepresented minorities — lack the reliable broadband connections needed to access postsecondary and K-12 education in a nation that remains in partial lockdown. Related: A school district is building a DIY broadband network.
SAN FRANCISCO — December 11, 2014 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted today to approve Chairman Wheeler’s latest proposal to complete modernization of the 18-year-old federal E-rate program. billion per year to account for growing bandwidth demand. billion per year to account for growing bandwidth demand.
Education leaders expect school internet needs to increase over the next several years, highlighting the need for increased bandwidth and resources to support growing digital learning demands on school networks. Related content: 5 school and library applicants weigh in on E-rate.
She is the current Digital Access Coordinator for the Learning Technology Center of Illinois (LTC) and an Illinois State E-rate Coordinator. Moreover, Mindy serves on several state and national associations such as the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and State E-rate Coordinator Alliance (SECA).
These are critical questions, and we are committed to ensuring that when it comes to our work, the answers around our use of broadband data are clear. As a result, more schools can upgrade their broadband networks and give their students equal access to countless digital learning opportunities. TRANSPARENCY DRIVES CHANGE.
Be sure to consider the alignment of your strategy and expectations to the broadband internet infrastructure needed to support it. Consider whether and how your state will encourage districts to form consortia to pool resources to address identified needs and priorities.
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 Josh Walton, principal, Walton Middle School, in sAlbemarle County, Virginia.
“If you didn’t have Internet access outside of school, you could learn in my class, but boy would it be at a different pace and rate and difficulty,” he says. The funds will go toward purchasing MiFi devices, which provide mobile broadband access, so that 15 percent can connect at home for free.
It’s that time of year again–the federal E-rate program is getting underway, and with program updates and refreshes in recent years, you might need a primer on this year’s program. At the end of 2014, the Federal Communications Commission voted to increase funding to the federal E-rate program by $1.5
On April 1, 2020, the FCC announced extensions of several key E-rate deadlines to provide relief to program participants affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Resources to support you. 5 Things To Remember When Filing Your E-rate Form 470. Read the FCC Order in full here. RFP Templates & Guidance. •
“This pilot program represents a crucial step in providing the resources necessary to safeguard sensitive information and maintain secure, reliable access to digital learning tools. We commend the FCC for acknowledging the urgency of these issues and taking initial steps to address the cybersecurity concerns of E-rate applicants.”
And with online assessments now being required in many states, reliable broadband access is also essential so that students’ knowledge and skills are accurately represented, and technology is not a barrier to achievement and its documentation. Related content: 4 things to ask about E-rate funding. Sheryl Abshire , Ph.D.,
EducationSuperHighway enthusiastically agrees with the Commission’s statement that the E-Rate Category 2 Rules implemented via the 2014 Modernization Orders have resulted in “more equitable and predictable” Category 2 funding, and fully supports the Commission’s intent to make these rules permanent. .
The Virginia Department of Education’s Learning Infrastructure Coordinator, Susan Clair, spearheads the effort to ensure school leaders are aware of the E-rate program, funding, tools and resources needed for a successful broadband upgrade. Did you utilize any other resources or partners in Virginia?
Key points: Without continued funding, schools and libraries may struggle to maintain or upgrade technological infrastructure See article: 3 ways the E-rate program helps level up learning See article: Will cybersecurity receive E-rate funding?
One of the most important features of E-rate is that it set an annual target of $1 billion annually to help schools upgrade their internal networks and implement Wi-Fi in every classroom. That amounts to $150 in E-rate Category 2 funding per student, to deploy a robust LAN / Wi-Fi network.
E-rate is complicated. But complying with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) -- a requirement of E-rate -- doesn't have to be. It also provides an overview of E-rate, with answers to commonly asked questions about eligibility, services supported, and audits. What is E-rate?
Although the window has closed to submit e-rate applications, districts can still use the free resource, Compare & Connect K–12, by the nonprofit EducationSuperHighway, as they consider their needs over the next three to five years. For more, visit www.compareandconnectk12.org.
And with online assessments now being required in many states, reliable broadband access is also essential so that students’ knowledge and skills are accurately represented, and technology is not a barrier to achievement and its documentation. Accessing the E-Rate and Matching State Funds. Sheryl Abshire, Ph.D.,
As the largest education technology program in the country, the Schools and Libraries program (E-rate) has transformed Internet access in our nation’s schools. In 2014, AASA played a lead role in modernizing the E-rate program, advocating for key changes such as: A policy update to make the program broadband-centric; and.
Library closures hit patrons hard—especially those who relied on them as their main internet source and used them to access online educational resources. Libraries Close, Internet Access Ends There have been several studies about how the lack of fast home broadband has hurt kids’ access to online learning during school closures.
As iPads, laptops and other learning gadgets increasingly make their way into K-12 schools, there’s one resource that more than 21 million students still lack access to in the United States: high-speed internet. “We They turned to E-rate, the $3.9 They turned to E-rate, the $3.9 Still, the tool isn’t for everybody.
Common Sense, SETDA unveil toolkit to help states, schools apply for billions in federal aid under the E-rate program modernization. A new E-rate funding toolkit from Common Sense and SETDA explains the changes to the federal program, available funding, and best ways to apply for it.
In a July 2017 statement , FCC Chairman Ajit Pai designated August as Rural Broadband Month at the agency. As demonstrated by Arkansas’ success in connecting all of its public school students, rural districts can thrive when cross-functional collaborations come together to leverage state and federal resources. at home either.
It’s that time of year again–the federal E-rate program is getting underway, and with program updates and refreshes in recent years, you might need a primer on this year’s program. At the end of 2014, the Federal Communications Commission voted to increase funding to the federal E-rate program by $1.5
On November 17, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler announced his plan to complete the modernization of the federal E-rate program, ensuring that all of America’s schools and libraries are connected to high-speed broadband within the next five years.
What Good is E-Rate Modernization if Schools Can’t Pay for What’s Connected to Broadband? The dust is starting to settle from the recent changes to the federal E-Rate program. Schools are actively pursuing increases to bandwidth by filing their Form 471s before next week.
The FCC’s historic E-rate modernization in 2014 paved the way for districts to expand their high-speed broadband and wi-fi and increase digital learning opportunities for students. “We were able to do a lot of this because of E-rate funding,” Dickerson said. Could your district do the same?
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