VARconnection

Expanding Preschool Enrollment

High-quality preschool offers one of the most cost-effective ways to increase equity in education and expand opportunity for young learners. Federal- and state-led efforts since 2009 have helped our country move closer to the goal of providing access to quality preschool for all children. Preschool enrollment has grown in over 30 states since 2009 and … Continue reading →

1-to-1 Laptop Initiatives Linked to Higher Scores

A new study, analyzing results of fifteen years’ worth of research studies, found that efforts by K-12 schools to implement 1-to-1 laptop deployments has , on average, had a statistically significant positive impact on student test scores in English/language arts, writing, math, and science. The study also found some modest evidence of other positive benefits … Continue reading →

Schools Struggle with EdTech Implementation

A new survey conducted by Edgenuity revealed that while teachers believe tech enriches the classroom, many schools struggle with successful implementation. Teachers believe in technology: 70% of surveyed teachers said they believe technology enriches the classroom experience 91% of surveyed teachers said technology provides a greater ability for teachers to tailor lessons and homework assignments … Continue reading →

Districts Look for ESSA Advice

A February 2016 survey found that many educators are relatively unfamiliar with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and are looking for their partners to help them navigate and implement the changes that ESSA is bringing. Key findings include: Only 12% of educators are “Very Familiar” with ESSA 56% of educators expect ESSA to only … Continue reading →

What Teachers Want from Digital Tools

In a recent survey by Teachers Know Best 3,100 K-12 teachers across the country identified the following as the most important considerations when evaluating digital tools for the classroom: Cost Effectiveness (48%) Cost is always an issue for individual teachers and the schools they work in. While many digital tools have free and paid tiers … Continue reading →

EdTech Hardware Spending Up 7%

Futuresource Consulting recently published its annual strategic technology in education report, delivering a comprehensive view of the global education landscape. “Total universe spending in the global education technology hardware market in 2015 increased 7 percent to $15 billion from 2014,” says Colin Messenger, senior analyst at Futuresource Consulting. “Growth has been strong, with an additional … Continue reading →

Leveraging Federal Funding to Support STEM Education

Last week the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter to states, school districts, schools, and education partners on how to maximize federal funds to support and enhance innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for all students. The letter serves as a resource for decreasing the equity and opportunity gaps for … Continue reading →

Top IT Issues for 2016

The fourth annual K-12 IT Leadership Survey Report was recently released during CoSN’s (Consortium for School Networking) annual conference, revealing some of the main issues IT leaders are facing heading into 2016. “There is innovative change happening in our schools. But with this digital transformation is a new frontier of challenges confronting IT administrators,” said … Continue reading →

Districts Continue to go Digital

A recent annual survey by the Center for Digital Education revealed that K-12 school districts are increasingly supporting digital learning. Of the districts surveyed: 62% have a digital content and curriculum strategy in place 38% of districts have a digital content and curriculum strategy that includes using Open Educational Resources (OER) 62% are already using … Continue reading →

Apple Debuts New Education Features for iPad

On Monday (3/21/2016) Apple released the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 9.3, and with it comes new features for iPad® devices in education. The release aims to open up new and engaging ways of teaching and learning on the iPad. New features include allowing teachers to manage student devices, share work and … Continue reading →