Top Highlights

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), launching a review and modernization of the E-rate program with comments due September 16 and Reply Comments due October 16th.  The NPRM asks a total of 616 questions and seeks comment on more than 350 ideas.  The FCC has also published a brief fact sheet, which provides an overview of the current E-rate program and the goals for a modernized E-rate outlined in the NPRM which include:

Increased Broadband Capacity

• Simplifying rules on fiber deployment to lower barriers to new construction
• Prioritizing funding for new fiber deployments that will drive higher speeds and long-term efficiency
• Phasing out support for services like paging and directory assistance
• Ensuring that schools and libraries can access funding for modern high-speed Wi-Fi networks in classrooms and library buildings
• Allocating funding on a simplified, per-student basis

Cost Effective Purchasing

• Increasing consortium purchasing to drive down prices
• Creating other bulk buying opportunities and increasing pricing transparency
• Increasing transparency on how E-rate dollars are spent
• Improving the competitive bidding process
• Creating a pilot program to incentivize and test more cost-effective purchasing practices

Streamlined Program Administration

• Speeding review of E-rate applications
• Providing a streamlined electronic filing system and requiring electronic filing of all documents
• Increasing the transparency of USAC’s processes
• Simplifying the eligible services list and adopting more efficient ways to disburse E-rate funds
• Streamlining the E-rate appeals process

Other Issues

• The applicability of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) to devices brought into schools and libraries through BYOD, and to devices provided by schools and libraries for at-home use
• Adjusting to changes to the National School Lunch Program that affect E-rate
• Additional measures for protecting the program from waste, fraud and abuse
• Wireless community hotspots

The Fiber to the Home Council Americas (FTTH Council) submitted a complementary proposal to the FCC this week, challenging it to establish a Gigabit Communities Race to the Top program. The idea is to have competitive program of matching grants of up to $10 million for projects certain markets where local governments and community anchor institutions would work with service providers to deploy gigabit networks.

Bill Signed

• Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick signed HB 3538/Chapter 38 of the Acts of 2013 with a number of amendments and vetoes on July 12. The budget as enacted took effect on July 1 and provides $795,548 for the education technology program.

State Updates

California

Relevant Elements: 1, 2
An initiative supported by California Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown between San Jose State University and an online education startup to provide online entry-level courses is on pause, according to insidehighered.com. According to San Jose State Provost Ellen Junn, disappointing student performance will lead the university to halt the relationship with the online provider Udacity this fall as part of a “short breather.” The university will study the results and the partnership. “I think the commitment is to look at the data carefully and make adjustments,” Junn said.

North Carolina

Bill: SB 402
Status: 07/25/2013 – Ratified
Relevant Elements: 2, 9
North Carolina SB 402, the Appropriations Act of 2013, emerged from conference committee on July 24 65-53 in the House and 32-17 in the Senate and is pending delivery to Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. The bill text as enrolled is not yet available online. A statewide school technology fund would get a $3 million boost from gambling money.

Tennessee

Relevant Elements: 6, 8
Education Week reports that a study is being conducted in the Memphis, Tennessee school system to determine which technology related methods of professional development have the most significant impact on student achievement. This project is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is comparing teachers who videotape their lessons with teachers presented with access to an online environment featuring instructional materials, videos and articles. Teachers in the first group are videotaping their lessons for about 30 minutes at least eight times during the school year, sending the recordings to a coach and are evaluated by a coaching model based on the “seven C’s”: care, control, clarify, challenge, captivate, confer and consolidate. Teachers with access to the online environment provide interaction through discussion boards, allowing teachers to build the content they want to see in the environment. Results from the initiative are still pending, but teachers participating in the video training have called it “the most transformational form of professional development they’ve ever received.”

Wyoming

Relevant Elements: 2, 6, 7
The Wyoming Joint Education Interim Committee met on July 16 and discussed Interim Study Priority number four, alternative learning environments. The meeting included reports and recommendations from appropriate agencies and organizations on the operation of current alternative learning programs and participation opportunities within the state. Alternative learning programs included within the interim study are distance learning, charter schools and alternative schools. The committee also discussed the Hathaway Scholarship Program, Education Information/Data Systems, and professional development. For a list of the committee’s interim priorities, which also includes education information technology, please click here.