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RELEASE: Utah Once Again National Leader in Digital Learning

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Digital Learning Now (DLN), an initiative of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), today released the 2014 Digital Learning Report Card. The Digital Learning Report Card measures state policies on digital learning based on their alignment to the 10 Elements of High-Quality Digital Learning. New in 2014, the report card examines and highlights the progress of individual states in implementing policies. Utah earns an A- grade from Digital Learning Now for the third year in a row. In addition, Utah is also featured for the implementation of SB 82, passed in 2013. The law creates Student Achievement Backpacks, which provide a single digital profile of K-12 students for parents, teachers and school leaders.

“Digital learning can open doors for students by improving the delivery, access, quality and rigor of education for today’s learners,” said Patricia Levesque, CEO of ExcelinEd. “This is exactly what our students need to succeed in the 21st century. Many of today’s lawmakers and education leaders are stepping up and creating the opportunities and infrastructure for students to explore powerful new models of learning.”

State policymakers play a critical role in accelerating the adoption of new models of learning enabled by technology. State policy can either remove barriers to innovative approaches or it can stifle them with restrictions, red tape and protecting the status quo.

Utah was one of the first states to adopt a policy that requires student academic information to be housed in a common, electronic record that will provide a holistic view of a student’s progress and achievement. The state is currently creating a cloud-based system where all data will be housed and accessible to parents and educators. This portable record will allow students to create more meaningful personalized learning paths and will equip teachers and parents to track a student’s progress within a single course or among multiple courses and grades.

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“The state is collecting student information,” said Robyn Bagley, chair of Parents for Choice in Education and a key driver behind the policy. “Parents are entitled to it. Administrators and teachers need it. We can’t have personalized learning plans without a student data backpack.”

The nation’s 50 states and their education systems have the opportunity to use technology in innovative ways to drive learning. The annual Digital Learning Report Card offers a comprehensive state-by-state analysis of laws and education policies that are doing just that. In 2014, state departments of education, superintendents, teachers and parents tackled implementing and making adjustments to some of the 422 digital learning laws enacted over the last four years. This year, the Report Card amplifies state voices, clarifies metrics for next generation policies and creates a broader picture of digital learning across the nation.

Download the report and learn more about the 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning.

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Spread the word via social media:

  • @DigLearningNow measures and analyzes #DigLn policy landscape nationwide, state by state. View report card here: https://bit.ly/1s0BNtX
  • In ’14, more than 450 #DigLn bills were debated & 51 signed into law. Check out the #DLNreportcard from @DigLearningNow https://bit.ly/1s0BNtX

About ExcelinEd

The Foundation for Excellence in Education is igniting a movement of reform, state by state, to transform education for the 21st century economy by working with lawmakers, policymakers, educators and parents to advance education reform across America. Learn more at ExcelinEd.org.

About Digital Learning Now
Digital Learning Now, an initiative of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), works to advance state policies that will create a high-quality digital learning environment to better equip all students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the 21st century. The policy framework stems from the belief that access to high-quality, customized learning experiences should be available to all students, unbounded by geography or artificial policy constraints.