Summary North Carolina SB 402 (Open States or North Carolina Legislature), the Appropriations Act of 2013, changes the funding formula for the North Carolina Virtual Public Schools (NCVPS) program, supports access to advanced courses offered on-line, directs the State Board of Education to study the authorization and oversight of virtual charter schools, and establishes the…
In Plain English: NC HB 44
Summary North Carolina HB 44 (Open States or North Carolina Legislature) establishes that the North Carolina General Assembly will transition from funding for textbooks, both traditional and digital, to funding for digital materials, including textbooks and instructional resources, to provide educational resources that remain current, aligned with curriculum, and effective for all learners by 2017….
27 Mar 2014
In Plain English: NC HB 23
Summary HB 23 (Open States or North Carolina Legislature) directs the State Board of Education to develop and implement digital competency standards as part of teacher preparation and licensure by the 2017-2018 school year. This bill recognizes that digital learning is an integral part of all 21st Century teaching and works to integrate it into…
5 Feb 2014
DLN State Report 7.26.13
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…
26 Jul 2013
DLN State Report 5.16 and 5.23
Georgia Georgia Governor Nathan Deal released an executive order on May 15 re-affirming state sovereignty in regards to education. The order affirms that Georgia will maintain its sovereignty in deciding educational standards, including decisions on curriculum and instruction. In addition, all standards in Georgia will be up for public review and comment for sixty days…
24 May 2013
DLN State Report 5.10.13
United States Bill: Executive Order Relevant Elements: 8 President Obama signed an Executive Order making open and machine readable data the new default for government information. A corresponding OMB memo was issued to agencies with specific guidance and a resource website with tools, guides, and schemas was also released. The OMB memo states that “…
10 May 2013
DLN State Report 5.6.13
Florida Bill: SB 1500 Status: 05/03/2013 – Senate Conference Committee Report received; Conference Committee Report adopted (590582); Passed as amended by Conference Committee Report Relevant Elements: 9 In Florida, the budget, known formally as the General Appropriations Act is SB 1500 and has been worked out and the 72-hour “cooling off” countdown mandated by the…
6 May 2013
DLN State Report 4.26.13
United States U.S. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wants to overhaul the E-Rate program to guarantee online access for schools and students as the demand for web use rises, according to Education Week. Commissioner Rosenworcel called for the creation of an “E-rate 2.0.” Rosenworcel cited the mounting pressure on school districts by online common-core assessments and…
3 May 2013