In recent years, the federal government (under Republican and Democratic administrations alike) has encouraged the outsourcing of core parts of public education's work, including testing and test preparation, teaching and tutoring, data collection, and human resources management. However, researchers have found little evidence to support policy…

This fact page briefly discusses the following facts on digital learning in California's K-12: (1) As California implements new tests in its K-12 schools, technology infrastructure is a key concern; (2) Many districts are confident that they had enough bandwidth for online field tests; (3) Digital learning will require significantly greater…

As people who were involved with drafting the 2010 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), the authors have taken the opportunity to respond to the very interesting perspectives in this special issue. The thoughts here represent only their views and are not an official statement of either the US Department of Education or the NETP Technical…

The National Educational Technology Plan 2010 (NETP) presents a model of twenty-first-century learning powered by technology, with goals and recommendations in five essential areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. This article connects NETP ideas in one of these areas--assessment--with those of the Assessment and…

The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) calls for the revolutionary transformation of the American educational system. The plan correctly points to the decisions of the late 1800s that still direct educational policy today, and correctly calls the school change efforts evolutionary tinkering. The author, a pioneer in online education…

In support of the conclusions and recommendations in the National Education Technology Plan (NETP), this article makes explicit the connections between the economic rationale used in the plan and the educational transformations it recommends. The article reviews macroeconomic research, microeconomic research, labor market and workforce studies,…

This article offers a conceptualization of media literacy pedagogy in light of National Education Technology Plan efforts, which name teaching as one of five essential areas to build an education system that can increase as well as sustain the United States' economic growth and prosperity in the global economy. In particular, two distinct…

In this article the authors accept as a given the National Education Technology Plan's vision of a transformed education system powered by technology such that learners receive personalized and engaging learning experiences, and where assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity are redefined. The article analyzes this vision of a…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) has many opportunities to apply expertise and creativity to the solution of perplexing human problems. It is much more rare, however, to find oneself at the nexus of a set of opportunities that make it possible to make a greater contribution than the original objective. Macedonia's commitment to…

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a…

This National Council on Disability (NCD) annual progress report to the President and Congress covers the period December 2005 through December 2006. The report is divided into 13 chapters, each dealing with a major area of public policy. These subject-specific chapters are preceded by an introductory Major Trends section that identifies…

During 1975, the Educational Satellite Communications Demonstration (ESCD) used the Applications Technology Satellite #6 (ATS-6) for three distinct demonstrations in Appalachia, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountain area. The most common use of the technology was to broadcast an uninterrupted program followed by a short interaction period. Other…

This report identifies principles that should guide the actions of public officials, educators, and others concerned with using technology to improve the performance in the nation's schools and school systems. Prepared as a result of participation by RAND's Critical Technologies Institute (CTI) in federal efforts to plan a research agenda and…

Discusses the educational technology policy and funding of the United States Department of Education from the 1960s to the present, including two current programs: the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund and telecommunications educational rate (E-rate) discounts. Future technology initiatives and critical factors impacting the future and are…

Examines recent government policies in higher education in South Korea and analyzes changes. Introduces the Virtual University Trial Project aimed at: encouraging educational partnerships; creating a cost-effective, quality virtual education system; identifying appropriate policies and standards; and sharing experiences. Discusses its impacts on…