New Resources Focus on the Effective Use of Technology in Title I Programs
Two national education organizations--the State Educational Technology Directors Association and the National Association for State Title I Directors--are launching three new co-developed resources designed to help education leaders with their Title I programs, especially in terms of using technology to help improve outcomes for Title I populations.
NASTID is an organization that works with state Title I directors with the goal of improving Title I implementations "so that more children reach their academic potential." SETDA is an education technology advocacy and research organization. Together, the two groups have released a new report on the impact of technology in education and an education technology resource guide and launched a new online collaborative community for educators to take the discussion further themselves.
The report, "Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education," provides data, research, mini-case studies, program profiles, and best practices on approaches to educational technology.
"These findings demonstrate the power of instructional technology to substantially increase student achievement, teacher quality and retention, and graduation rates," said Mary Ann Wolf, executive director of SETDA, in a statement released today to coincide with the new resources. "We are pleased to see that the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) offered us this opportunity to discuss new ways of working together to adequately prepare our students for college and the workforce. Wolf continued, "Technology needs play a critical role in addressing the needs of our nation's schools in most need so this guide may help forge the partnerships necessary."
The companion resource guide is a bestiary of educational technologies, providing definitions of various types of technologies, examples of their use, and evaluations of their worth in the context of academic settings.
The collaborative site is designed to serve as a forum for further discussion and a medium for education leaders to contribute additional examples and resources.
"Research shows that solid technology integration helps to eliminate the achievement gap," said Rich Long, executive director of NASTID. "Integrating technology in instruction provides all students, especially those who lack resources at home, with opportunities to gain these fundamental, critical skills," Long continued, "We look forward to future discussions and are pleased with this first step in a series of papers and collaborative efforts for our two organizations."
The report, resource guide, and online collaborative community site can all be accessed here.