Programming & Development


image shows a graphic in background from the CoSN 2023 State of Ed Tech Leadership survey

Annual CoSN Survey Shows Widespread Lack of Professional Learning Support, Budget Restraints Persist

CoSN’s 10th annual State of Ed Tech Leadership report released this week shows some things remain the same — K–12 technology leaders need more resources to keep up with technological innovations in schools — while priorities since the survey began have shifted remarkably.

ED Invites Districts to Apply to Fostering Diverse Schools Program; Deadline is July 7

The U.S. Department of Education is now accepting applications for the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grants program and will hold a pre-application webinar on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Applicants can sign on at oese.ed.gov/fostering-diverse-schoolprogram-fdsp/

Stride and Ocean Visions Building Ocean Sustainability World Project in Minecraft

Digital learning provider Stride has announced a partnership with nonprofit research network Ocean Visions to build instructional content for Minecraft: Education Edition to teach students about the science of oceans and support the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, according to a news release.

VHS Learning Adds Chinese Language and Culture Course for High Schoolers

As China becomes an increasingly important player in international business, politics, technology, and diplomacy, virtual instruction provider VHS Learning has added a Chinese Language and Culture introductory course, open to high school students nationwide either through their school or through independent study, according to a news release.

VHS Learning Adds High School STEAM, IT, and Business Courses

Online instruction provider VHS Learning has added 11 new courses for the 2023–24 school year for high school students studying online either through their local school district or at home for supplemental learning, the nonprofit said in a news release.

chalkboard reads

Leadership Changes Announced for Baumgartner, McCulloch, LaRue, Atkins, Revenaugh, Bratcher, Ramos, Loble, Levin, DeMont, Oran

Education organizations announcing leadership changes include BookNook, Wilson Language Training, United States Academic Esports League, Connections Academy aka Pearson Virtual Schools, Carnegie Learning, Sibme, 1EdTech, CISA Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, Heinemann Publishing, and CoderZ.

a bar chart shows the top five areas that school districts have spent ESSER Funds on

As ESSER Spending Ramps Up, Experts Offer Tips to Make Sure Students Truly Benefit, Now and Later

The pace of K-12 school districts' spending of ESSER Funds has picked up significantly this school year, and education leaders and researchers have shared tips and guides to help district leaders efficiently evaluate — or re-evaluate — their options when making procurement decisions, to ensure students benefit and stakeholders don't come to see spending decisions as failures.

What K-12 IT Leaders Need to Know About the Proposed Expansion of E-Rate Eligible Services

A Funds For Learning E-rate expert shares what K–12 procurement officers and IT leaders need to know so they can be prepared to apply for the expanded funds if and when the FCC decides to expand the E-rate eligible services list — particularly if the expansion plan of choice means that the amount of E-rate funds to cover modern cybersecurity services is limited, at least for the first few years.

Paper has acquired Major Clarity - image shows the new logo MajorClarity by Paper

Paper Acquires MajorClarity, Part of Plans for Comprehensive 'Educational Support System' Platform

Digital tutoring provider Paper has acquired MajorClarity, a career and college readiness platform, and integrated its CCR functions into its expanded platform as part of its plan to transform Paper into a comprehensive “Educational Support System” solution for K–12 schools, Paper said.

image shows a Pivot Interactives digital science experiment with a runner going uphill and measuring ruler overlaid

The Best Ed Tech Innovations Will Be Emergent – If We Do This Right

Without minimizing the need to honor students’ privacy rights, we as an ed tech community should also not miss the opportunity to search for the new emergent patterns that will no doubt appear when we look at how students, teachers, and their data all interact. It’s these new patterns, like ripples in the sand, that will likely offer insights into the heretofore most intractable questions in education.