[1st-mile-nm] SETDA: US Education System Must Step Up High-Speed Broadband

[Richard Lowenberg]

US Education System Must Step Up High-Speed Broadband Efforts to Maximize the
Potential of Technology for Student Achievement and the 21st Century Global
Economy.

States, Districts, and Schools in Danger of Missing Assessment, Data, and
Instructional Opportunities Due to Lack of Broadband Access.

www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=870599

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwire - June 19, 2008) - SETDA, representing all 50 states
and DC, today released the "High-Speed Broadband Access for All Kids: Breaking
through the Barriers" report to address the growing concern and critical need
for high-speed Internet access among our districts and schools. Although
national statistics boast almost 98% connectivity in US schools, the substance
and bandwidth of the connection is often problematic and insufficient.
High-speed broadband access and connectivity are vital for economic growth,
global competitiveness, education, innovation, and creativity. Ensuring
high-speed broadband access for all students has become a critical national
issue especially when considering the necessity for the use of technology in
assessment, accountability, engagement, and preparing our students for work and
life in the 21st century.

SETDA worked with stakeholders from all 50 states, education, and industry in
developing the recommendations. This report identifies the key issues facing
the educational community relating to robust connectivity and recommends how
states and districts can successfully implement high-speed broadband in their
schools. The report also provides stakeholders and policymakers with strategies
and models for bringing this critical issue to the national and state policy
level. You can view the full report at
http://www.setda.org/web/guest/class2020actionplan .

Key recommendations include:

In a technology-rich learning environment for the next 2-3 years, SETDA
recommends:

--  An external Internet connection to the Internet Service Provider of 10
    Mbps per 1,000 students/staff
--  Internal wide area network connections from the district to each
    school between schools of at least 100 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff

In a technology-rich learning environment for the next 5-7 years, SETDA
recommends:

--  An external Internet connection to the Internet Service Provider of
    100 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff
--  Internal wide area network connections from the district to each
    school between schools of at least 1 Gbps per 1,000 students/staff

"Planning and implementing for this growth is critical for our education
system," stated Mary Ann Wolf, PhD, SETDA's Executive Director. "We now have
data that shows how technology makes a significant impact on student
achievement in all subject areas and grades -- not to mention providing
unprecedented opportunities for on-going and sustainable professional
development that improves teacher practice within the classroom. High speed
broadband is essential to making change happen."

Key issues include:

--  Teachers and students need high-speed broadband access in their
    schools to take advantage of a wide range of new and rich educational tools
    and resources available for learning anytime, anywhere
--  Teachers need high-speed broadband access for professional
    development, and engaging in professional learning communities as well as
    accessing new educational resources such as curriculum cadres and education
    portals
--  Administrators need high-speed broadband access to conduct online
    assessments and to access data for effective decision making
--  Students need high-speed broadband access to overcome the digital
    divide in rural and low socio-economic areas

About SETDA

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal
association for state directors of technology and their staff members providing
professional development and leadership around the effective use of technology
in education to enhance competitiveness in the global workforce.

-- 
Richard Lowenberg
1st-Mile Institute
P.O. Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110;   505-603-5200 cell
rl at 1st-mile.com  www.1st-mile.com

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