Special Report

Electronic Transfer

Moving Technology Dollars in New Directions
May 5, 2005
  • Education Florida
    Florida allocated about $55.6 million in state funds to support public school technology for the 2004-05 school year, and state officials expect that amount to stay about the same for the upcoming school year.
    May 5, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Georgia
    A new emphasis in the state education department on integrating Georgia’s academic curriculum with technology has led to several projects designed to improve teaching and student achievement.
    Linda Jacobson, May 5, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Hawaii
    Hawaii’s E-School—which offers online courses to students who would not be able to take classes in certain subjects otherwise—is facing new challenges in the era of the No Child Left Behind Act.
    Linda Jacobson, May 5, 2005
    1 min read
    Classroom Technology Chart: Cyber Schools
    Schools in which instruction takes place over the Internet, rather than in a traditional classroom setting, are becoming increasingly prevalent across the United States. More than half the states currently have a state-established virtual school or at least one cyber charter school.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Funding Federal Role Seen Shifting
    The leaders who steer federal decisions about technology investments appear to be establishing new priorities.
    Andrew Trotter, May 3, 2005
    9 min read
    Ed-Tech Policy E-Rate: The Road Ahead
    Federal officials are scrutinizing the E-rate program to determine whether it should be overhauled, or even ended.
    Andrew Trotter, May 3, 2005
    7 min read
    Ed-Tech Policy Chart: E-Rate Allocations
    The federal E-rate program provides discounts on telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections, with priority given to schools and libraries that serve low-income students or are located in rural areas. Since the program began in 1998, a total of $14.3 billion has been awarded, including more than $1.7 billion allocated so far during the 2004-05 school year.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Schools Eye Future Costs
    Educators are using a business concept called "total cost of ownership" to forecast the costs of technology.
    May 3, 2005
    9 min read
    Education Charts: Narrowing the Gap
    Internet access across all types of schools has shown steady improvement. Despite such improvement, the actual use of technology in high-poverty, high-minority, and academically failing schools lags behind technology use in more advantaged schools.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Sources and Notes for State Data Tables
    Sources and Notes for State Data Tables
    May 3, 2005
    6 min read
    Education Chart: Funding for Equity
    Just a few states are targeting technology funds where they are most needed by allocating additional dollars to schools with greater technology needs or those with fewer resources.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Cyber Schools’ Status
    As the popularity of virtual schools grows, the funding models for state-sponsored efforts differ across the country.
    Rhea R. Borja, May 3, 2005
    6 min read
    Ed-Tech Policy Chart: NCLB Technology Funds
    Under the Enhancing Education Through Technology program, the U.S. Department of Education provides grants to states for educational technology. States can keep up to 5 percent of the grants they receive for administrative purposes, but must allocate half the remaining funds to districts through a formula, and the other half through competitive grants. Funding for this program, a part of the No Child Left Behind Act, was cut by 28 percent in fiscal 2005.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Ed-Tech Policy Chart: Updating Technology
    Technology must be regularly updated or replaced within schools in order to remain an effective tool for learning.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Chart: State Priorities
    States were asked: “Please identify your state’s top two priorities in spending for education technology this year.” State answers reflect their priorities, not necessarily what they are spending the most on.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    School & District Management Big-District Priorities
    At the same time, big districts are using a mix of financial resources to maintain—and, in some cases, increase—the amount of money they are devoting to educational technology in general. But some officials in those districts say President Bush’s proposed cuts in federal aid for educational technology could derail future spending.
    John Gehring, May 3, 2005
    7 min read
    Education Charts: Tech Savvy
    A majority of states have standards for what students and teachers should know about technology. But just three states assess students’ knowledge of technology, and only 20 require teachers to demonstrate technology proficiency before receiving an initial license, either by completing coursework or passing a test.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Charts: The New Frontier
    Innovative uses of technology continue to grow. During the 2004-05 school year, 16 states are offering computer-based assessment, compared with 13 last year. Wireless technology and laptop computers are also on the rise.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Tracking U.S. Trends
    There is no almost no difference in the availability of Internet access between poor schools and wealthy ones.
    May 3, 2005
    6 min read
    Education Wisconsin
    Subsidizing schools’ links to a statewide telecommunications backbone now consumes the lion’s share of Wisconsin’s educational technology budget, even as the state has moved forward with major changes in how it collects and manages data from its public schools.
    Caroline Hendrie, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Ohio
    The Buckeye State continues phasing in school districts as part of the Third Frontier Network, a statewide fiber-optic system that links K-12 schools with higher education and promotes research and education opportunities.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Montana
    Montana’s schools will receive about $21 per student in the 2004-05 school year for educational technology through the state’s sale of trees cut down on state land.
    Mary Ann Zehr, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education West Virginia
    West Virginia has a new champion for distance learning: first lady Gayle Manchin.
    1 min read
    Education Washington
    Washington state has a small pot of money to aid educational technology, and it is mainly allocated between two major initiatives: the nine educational technology support centers the state runs and a K-20 telecommunications network that serves K-12 schools and colleges and universities in the state.
    May 3, 2005
    2 min read
    Education Virginia
    Virginia’s efforts in online testing might help the state as it tries to finance technology in light of President Bush’s proposed fiscal 2006 budget, which calls for eliminating educational technology state grants.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Vermont
    Vermont doles out none of its K-12 education aid explicitly for technology, but it has tried to use federal and private grant money to make educational technology resources available for school districts.
    Bess Keller, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Utah
    Like many educational technology programs around the country, Utah’s efforts to start new programs are fighting a lack of funding in order to move forward.
    Michelle R. Davis, May 3, 2005
    2 min read
    Education Texas
    While a budget shortfall forced the Texas legislature to eliminate two of the state’s three major funding sources for educational technology for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years, state education officials are cautiously optimistic that this year’s biennial session will bring an increase in funding.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Tennessee
    After seeing positive results from a state-sponsored effort to provide local schools with technology coaches, Tennessee officials have decided to expand the program for a second time to reach more schools.
    Joetta L. Sack, May 3, 2005
    2 min read
    Education South Dakota
    Between 1997 and 2003, South Dakota’s state education department concentrated most of its technology efforts on improving teachers’ computer skills.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education South Carolina
    Despite a downward trend in funding for educational technology, South Carolina is trying to stretch its dollars to start and maintain certain programs.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Rhode Island
    Rhode Island continues to stress professional development in its push to infuse technology into its classrooms. For the past several years, the state department of education has organized a series of two-week summer seminars for educators interested in tapping the potential of technology to improve their teaching.
    Jeff Archer, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Pennsylvania
    Pennsylvania’s approach and priority for educational technology can be summed up in the name of its major technology initiative: Getting to One. The state is working toward having technology fully integrated not only into classroom life, but also into the operation of schools and districts.
    Catherine Gewertz, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Oregon
    Oregon is building on several efforts to improve how schools use technology, relying on local and federal money for support.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Oklahoma
    State spending on educational technology, which has not been available for the past two years due to persistent state budget deficits, is increasing in Oklahoma.
    Jessica L. Tonn, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education North Dakota
    In pushing forward with efforts to expand the use of educational technology, North Dakota hopes to address declining enrollments and to increase distance-learning opportunities for students in rural districts.
    Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education North Carolina
    North Carolina’s educational technology fund decreased by about a third for fiscal 2005, to $5 million, a cut precipitated by a $1.3 billion overall state budget deficit.
    Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education New York
    New York is using technology to improve instruction, track achievement, and raise middle school skills in mathematics and language arts, state officials say.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education New Mexico
    New Mexico is expanding an initiative started during the 2003-04 school year to put laptop computers in the hands of 7th graders and their teachers and permit the students to keep the computers through high school.
    Mary Ann Zehr, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education New Jersey
    A change in New Jersey’s administrative code is enabling state money to be earmarked for educational technology projects as new schools are built or older ones substantially renovated.
    Catherine Gewertz, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education New Hampshire
    Despite a history of little or no state funding for technology education, New Hampshire forged ahead in 2004 with plans to form a network of regional centers where teachers can go for technology-related professional development.
    Debra Viadero, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Nevada
    Educational technology advocates in Nevada would be happy just to maintain state funding levels for their cause, says Mark S. Knudson, the educational technology specialist for the state education department.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Nebraska
    Nebraska education officials were hoping the legislature would come through with funding for plans to improve and coordinate distance learning throughout the state.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Missouri
    Missouri’s educational technology efforts, once fueled by $15 million to $20 million a year in state funding, have been running on fumes from the state for the past three years, according to Deborah K. Sutton, the instructional technology director for the Missouri education department.
    Debra Viadero, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Massachusetts
    Massachusetts has taken a cue from Maine’s statewide laptop program and is piloting a much smaller initiative of its own.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Maryland
    Maryland is relying more heavily than in past years on federal money to run a variety of educational technology initiatives aimed at improving teachers’ and students’ technology skills as well as harnessing the powers of online learning.
    Vaishali Honawar, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education District of Columbia
    The District of Columbia is targeting most of its educational technology efforts toward ensuring that “every learning space is connected to the Internet,” says Stanley D. Johnson, the school district’s director of instructional technology.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Delaware
    A statewide education intranet has helped Delaware’s school districts and its individual schools stay connected, and has bolstered the state’s efforts to collect data.
    Michelle R. Davis, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Connecticut
    As Connecticut nears completion of a statewide electronic network for education, officials there are seeking ways to ensure that it gets put to good use.
    Jeff Archer, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Colorado
    Without any money for new initiatives, Colorado educational technology officials are figuring out how technology already in place in schools can best be used in the future.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Mississippi
    As the money flows, so goes school technology in Mississippi. For the 2004-05 school year, the legislature approved only a small increase in overall K-12 funding, which forced many of the state’s 147 school districts to make budget cuts in a number of areas, including educational technology.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Minnesota
    With the mammoth budget deficit finally under control, Gov. Tim Pawlenty is calling on the legislature to fund a variety of K-12 technology initiatives in his fiscal 2006 budget.
    Jessica L. Tonn, May 3, 2005
    2 min read
    Education Michigan
    To give a boost to learning in some of Michigan’s neediest middle schools, the state bolstered federal technology money with state funds during the 2004-05 school year to put wireless laptops in the hands of some 20,000 students, mostly 6th graders, and their teachers.
    Bess Keller, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Maine
    By September 2005, Maine hopes to reach its goal of giving every 9th grader in the state a laptop computer, state officials say.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Louisiana
    State funding for educational technology has slowed to a trickle in Louisiana, a state that earlier had dedicated substantial amounts to such efforts.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Kentucky
    Over the past five years, Kentucky has gone from having one of the most modern computing environments in its schools to one of the least up-to-date.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Kansas
    Educational technology funding in Kansas has been in the midst of a crisis, as legislators scramble to restructure the state’s entire school financing system.
    Jessica L. Tonn, May 3, 2005
    2 min read
    Education Iowa
    Iowa districts are facing yet another year without significant state funding dedicated for school technology.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Indiana
    Indiana educational technology officials are moving forward with their goal of building a computer-to-student ratio of 1-to-1.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Illinois
    Despite cuts to popular state programs, Illinois is pushing ahead with efforts to get more teachers, students, and administrators to improve their familiarity with technology, in keeping with state officials’ long-term goals.
    Sean Cavanagh, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Idaho
    Idaho will not be getting its long-awaited tracking system that would have standardized software in all 114 school districts and let parents monitor their children’s academic progress over the Internet.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Arkansas
    Arkansas is using a federal grant to evaluate a popular program that encourages students to use technology to tackle real-world problems.
    Vaishali Honawar, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Arizona
    State schools Superintendent Tom Horne introduced a new program to improve data-driven instruction in Arizona during his 2005 State of Education speech in January.
    Jessica L. Tonn, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Alaska
    With a forbidding terrain and a harsh climate that make long-distance education a necessity, Alaska continues to push ahead with technology aimed at spanning the vast gaps between schools.
    Sean Cavanagh, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education California
    Facing a severe budget shortage, California managed to continue a few of its educational technology programs last year, and officials are hoping to sustain those programs. But they concede that keeping such efforts afloat will be difficult.
    Joetta L. Sack, May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Bush vs. Clinton
    The current administration's priorities differ from its predecessor's.
    Andrew Trotter, May 3, 2005
    4 min read
    Education NCLB Focuses on Data Tools
    The demands of the No Child Left Behind Act are spurring states to invest in data-management technologies.
    David J. Hoff, May 3, 2005
    12 min read
    Education Charts: NCLB Influence, Funding Crunch
    States were asked: "How has the federal No Child Left Behind law influenced technology spending in your state?"
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education Chart: Dividing the Pot
    Schools spend, on average, $103 per pupil annually for educational technology. More than two-thirds of that money, over $71 per pupil, is spent on hardware.
    May 3, 2005
    1 min read
    Education State of the States (Technology Counts 2005)
    Click on a state to read snapshots of the technology initiatives states are using, what they're spending, and to see a collection of vital stats for each state. See U.S. Vital Stats.
    May 1, 2005
    1 min read
    Education State Support Varies Widely
    With many states still tightening their belts because of revenue shortfalls, state funding for K-12 educational technology has been on the downturn.
    Rhea R. Borja, April 29, 2005
    8 min read
    Education Electronic Transfer
    Like it or not, the financial landscape of educational technology is changing.
    April 28, 2005
    5 min read