Cybersecurity remains a critical concern for school systems nationwide, showing a consistent increase in publicly disclosed K-12 cyber incidents over the past 5 years. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment underscores this trend, predicting ongoing targeting of K-12 school networks by cyber actors who will…

Safe, secure, resilient, and accessible education system infrastructure, both physical and digital, is an essential factor for success. Yet, the digital infrastructure in the nation's K-12 schools is increasingly under threat from malicious cyber actors. This fact sheet: (1) describes the most common types of cyber threats currently facing school…

This is the third in a series of five briefs published by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology on the key considerations facing educational leaders as they work to build and sustain core digital infrastructure for learning. These briefs offer recommendations to complement the fundamental infrastructure considerations…

Elementary and secondary schools increasingly face an onslaught of ransomware and other cyberattacks, which jeopardize sensitive data and the integrity of their digital infrastructure. The consequences of these attacks can be severe and costly, eroding community trust, disrupting learning, and permanently damaging equipment. The alarming scope and…

This is the fourth in a series of five briefs published by Office of Education Technology (OET) on the key considerations facing educational leaders as they work to build and sustain core digital infrastructure for learning. These briefs offer recommendations to complement the fundamental infrastructure considerations outlined in the 2017 OET…

Many districts struggle to access the cybersecurity expertise or other resources needed to secure their networks and data appropriately. This isn't because mitigation strategies don't exist. Often, the barrage of suggestions and warnings directed at school IT leaders are too overwhelming to navigate, are not properly scoped for educational…

Cyber threats have escalated in recent years. Many of these threats have been direct and vicious attacks on K-12 systems. Educators are rarely trained on how to address cyber threats from a systemic and educational perspective when such challenges arise in their school buildings. This article explains the cyber threats that are looming large for…

There are many resources to guide successful K-12 cybersecurity education. The objective of these resources is to prepare skilled and ethical cybersecurity students at the earliest level to meet the demands of higher-level programs. The goal of this article is to provide, as a starting point, a list of as many currently popular K-12 educational…

Social media is an important part of all of our lives. However, there is no requirement for students in Manitoba to receive formalized education in regards to social media and its usage in the K-12 Canadian curriculum instruction. Such formalized education is extremely important for adolescents to understand the multiple facets of social media…

K-12 teachers and students are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks and mostly ill-prepared to deal with them. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased these risks because of the reliance on digital technology in education and increased free time young children and adolescents spend online. Simultaneously, the U.S. is facing an extreme shortage of…

The 2023-24 school year was a big year for educational technology. As the world of educational technology has evolved, so has SETDA's State EdTech Trends Survey. This year's survey and report feature new questions (which will likely become recurring questions) and some changes to old questions to reflect the mainstreaming of AI in K-12 education.…

This is the second in a series of five briefs published by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology on the key considerations facing educational leaders as they work to build and sustain core digital infrastructure for learning. These briefs offer recommendations to complement the fundamental infrastructure considerations…

The COVID-19 school closures offered states and local school districts an opportunity to reimagine education--to tailor it to meet students' needs, support teachers and aid their professional development, keep schools safe, and better support families. Thus far, not a lot of imagination is on display. In particular, schools are not taking…

Cybersecurity has emerged as one of the most critical issues confronting schools in the 21st century. Computer security is an essential instrument for protecting children, but K-12 schools are considered one of the most attractive targets for data privacy crimes often due to the less-than-effective cybersecurity practices in schools. The human…

How can school librarians change the view of school librarians to better match the reality of their work? One way is to increase their explicit connections with broad, recognizable initiatives, like digital fluency and computer science. The The New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency (CS/DF) Standards, in alignment with the "AASL…