From the Editor RSS Feed
i3 Regs and the Draft Core Standards Released
Anne Wujcik — Friday, March 12, 2010
Trying to keep up with funding and policy announcements these past two weeks has been like trying to drink from a fire hose. This week saw the release of the final regulations and the application package for Investing in Innovation and the draft K-12 Common Core State Standards are now available for comment. Last week we had the announcement of the finalists for the first phase of the Race to the Top competition and the release of the National Education Technology Plan. And on Thursday, MDR was privileged to host a free webinar that featured Karen Cator, Director of Education Technology at the Department of Education, who gave us an insider’s overview of the plan. Why bother to keep up with all of this? Many people believe that i3 will foster a flood of proposals to support and extend really innovative approaches to teaching and learning. The draft standards have the potential of affecting the business of anyone who provides instructional materials for the K-12 market. And the Ed Tech plan puts technology at the core of efforts to transform education. It won’t all happen tomorrow and much of this is still in draft and planning stages. But together all these announcements and releases point to the future. Not everything will “take.” But we’re better off planning for the future than looking back to the past. Read More »
Washington Update
Anne Wujcik — Friday, March 05, 2010
Welcome to the first issue of the new EdNET News Alert. We look forward to your comments and suggestions on the refreshed format. There's so much going on this week, it's hard to know where to start. First I'd like to point you to the Featured News section and the headline about EdNET Insight, a new information service from MDR. Offered as a subscription service, EdNET Insight will combine a variety of products and services into a unique offering designed to help our customers stay informed of market trends and opportunities in the K-12 education market. Most of all, we want to build the EdNET community and extend the EdNET Conference experience throughout the year. EdNET Insight subscribers will receive regularly delivered industry reports, dedicated briefings, regular access to the EdNET Insight team of analysts, virtual roundtables on strategic issues, and custom research and consulting services. Read More »
Changes for B2E; Industry News
Anne Wujcik — Friday, February 26, 2010
You’ll notice some changes in our weekly newsletter next week. Starting March 5, we’re giving the B2E a facelift and adding it to the EdNET family. It will now be called the “EdNET News Alert,” so look for it in your email next week! In addition to a new name, we’re making some layout and design changes, better incorporating the newsletter and news site into the MDR/EdNET design family, while also building on reader behavior to highlight original content – my Editor’s Note, Vicki’s “Snoops” and a new rotating series of articles offering 1) ideas for marketing, 2) comments from educators, 3) advice from industry professionals, and 4) a monthly offering from Nelson aptly dubbed “the Heller Report.” We’ll continue to provide press releases and featured industry stories both in the emailed news and on the site. I know I can count on you to provide feedback, so let us know what you think at: mdrinfo@dnb.com. Or drop me personal note at : WujcikA@dnb.com. Read More »
More Works in Progress
Anne Wujcik — Friday, February 19, 2010
The House has announced its intent to begin work on “a bipartisan, open and transparent effort” to rewrite No Child Left Behind. The first hearing in the process is scheduled for Feb 24. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded more than $19.5 million in grants to support the development and testing of prototype classroom assessments and instructional tools in math and literacy in support of the Common Core State Standards. And a few thoughts on some aspects of the “e-Rate 2.0 Act of 2010.” Read More »
Works in Progress
Anne Wujcik — Friday, February 12, 2010
This week Kentucky became the first state to officially adopt the K-12 English/language arts and math standards developed as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Kentucky plans to begin using the new standards to guide instruction this fall. A group of experts has begun work on a conceptual framework that will be used to guide the development of a new set of science standards. And legislation has been introduced in the House to amend and expand the E-Rate program. Read on to learn more. Read More »
FY 2011 Budget Request
Anne Wujcik — Friday, February 05, 2010
I’m on a steep learning curve this week as I try to sort through the changes and adjustments included in President Obama’s 2011 budget request . Overall, the Department of Education’s discretionary budget for K-12 programs would grow by $3.5 billion, with an additional $1 billion reserve that could be requested in a budget amendment keyed to the reauthorization of the ESEA. Read More »
The iPad Debuts
Anne Wujcik — Friday, January 29, 2010
Another busy week. The President delivered his State of the Union address on Wednesday and, once again, made clear that improving American education is one of his top priorities. If the President has his way, the Department of Education’s K-12 budget could see a $4 billion increase. Look for the details in the Presidents FY11 budget request, which should be sent to Congress on Feb 1. And Apple finally launched its much anticipated iPad tablet device. On first take, it looks good but is not likely to be the next-great thing in the K-12 market. It may find wider acceptance among college students. Read More »
Common Standards/Common Assessments
Anne Wujcik — Friday, January 22, 2010
Forty states and the District of Columbia submitted applications for Race to the Top funding. Winners will be announced in April. Applications for Round 2 are due June 1 and those awards will be made in September. And President Obama announced plans to include an additional $1.35 billion in his FY 2011 budget request to expand Race to the Top, including a separate competition for school districts. Meanwhile Achieve, one of the partners in the common core standards effort announced that it has brought together 27 states in a partnership to develop common assessments aligned to common standards. Read More »
Race to the Top Deadline Looms
Anne Wujcik — Friday, January 15, 2010
Nominations for the EdNET Industry Awards program open today, marking a change from the way we’ve organized the Awards program in the past. This year we will hold a special EdNET Virtual Awards Ceremony in May. The EdNET Industry Awards program recognizes organizations that have made important contributions to the advancement of the education industry through their products and programs. Consider nominating your organization this year. Full details are at http://www.schooldata.com/ednetawards.asp. Read More »
STEM and Teacher Preparation
Anne Wujcik — Friday, January 08, 2010
Well the New Year is off with a bang. The President announced additional support for math and science education, a coalition of colleges has pledged to increase the total number of science and math teachers they prepare every year to 10,000 by 2015, CES is in full swing and next week brings us both FETC and BETT, the UK’s ed tech expo. Read More »
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