By John Bailey
April 2, 2013
With the news that the Administration will release their 2014 budget proposal on April 10, we wanted to borrow an idea from our friends at the New America Foundation and post Ten Digital Learning Questions About the Budget:
1. ESEA authorizes up to $1 billion to support state and local projects for a number of purposes, including “providing assistance to States and localities for the implementation and support of a comprehensive system that effectively uses technology in elementary schools and secondary schools to improve student academic achievement.” Given the need to modernize classrooms for blended learning and online learning how much will the Administration request of the $1 billion to assist schools? How much will be targeted to address the readiness gap between schools and the technology requirements by PARCC and SBAC?
2. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray’s budget proposes “$20 billion to jump‐start repairs and technology infrastructure investments in schools across America that are crumbling or lack critical educational tools like broadband access that are required in the 21st century economy.” Will the Administration’s budget request a similar level of funding to support school modernization, particularly given the need to help schools acquire the broadband and devices needed for the PARCC/SBAC assessments? How will the request be structured to garner more support than previous efforts, such as the school modernization proposal under the American Jobs Act?
3. In 2010, Secretary Arne Duncan released a National Educational Technology Plan which challenges the country to modernize our school system with reforms that support “always on learning,” data systems, personalized learning, teacher training, and productivity tools. The Secretary’s plan says “we must act now and commit to fine-tuning and midcourse corrections as we go.” How will the budget align to these recommendations and support their implementation?
4. The 2010 National Broadband Plan tasks the U.S. Department of Education with establishing a program to fund the development of innovative broadband-enabled online learning solutions. How will the President’s budget advance this work?
5. How will the Department’s budget advance the National Broadband Plan’s recommendation of “encouraging the adoption of standards for electronic educational records?” Will there be a meaningful use-like program to accelerate the adoption of personal, secure student records?
6. Will Race to the Top use competitive incentives to encourage states not only to reduce barriers to charter schools but also to next generation models such as online learning and blended learning?
7. Will the budget fully fund all digital learning programs authorized under ESEA?
8. How much additional funding will be requested for the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grant to support state capacity building in enhancing state data systems?
9. Will the budget propose additional funding flexibility sought by many Governors to help minimize the pain of the sequestration and support implementation of various state reforms?
10. Will the President’s overall budget put the federal budget on a fiscally sustainable path? How will it compare to the proposed cuts made in the House and Senate plans?