SETDA Revamps Help for States Adopting Digital Curriculum -- THE Journal

Breaking News

SETDA Revamps Help for States Adopting Digital Curriculum

By Dian Schaffhauser
04/23/18

SETDA has updated its free tool for helping schools implement digital curriculum. The latest updates to the Digital Instructional Materials Acquisition Policies for States (DMAPS) are intended to clarify state policies and practices.

The State Educational Technology Directors Association originally launched DMAPS in 2015 to help educators, policymakers and people in industry understand each state's policies and practices related to instructional materials, as part of helping to promote increased implementation of digital resources. The new edition lets state and district people share their best practices and options "related to adoption and implementation of tools and resources to support learning in the digital age," explained Executive Director Tracy Weeks.

According to the organization, updates include "snapshot" overviews of policies and practices of state procurement, the instructional material review process for each state, accessibility policies, details related to adoption and implementation, coverage of state trends and the ability to compare states. The interactive tool covers every state as well as the District of Columbia and Guam.

One supporter for the site is Utah, where the state has "mandated the review of educational curriculum since 1907, and has recently formed a Digital Teaching and Learning Team to support the integration of technology into our schools," according to Sydnee Dickson, state superintendent of public instruction. "SETDA's DMAPS project has informed our instructional materials review process and has helped Utah incorporate the latest and best materials available for digital learning," she said in a prepared statement.

This work was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Copilot Updates Aim to Personalize AI

Microsoft has introduced a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.
Stanford 2025 AI Index Reports Surge in Adoption, Investment, and Global Impact as Trust and Regulation Lag Behind

Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) has released its eighth annual AI Index Report, measuring AI's diverse impacts over the past year.
New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.
Report: Enterprises Are Embracing Agentic AI

According to a new report from SnapLogic, 50% of enterprises are already deploying AI agents, and another 32% plan to do so within the next 12 months..