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Round-Up for the Week of September 9-13, 2024

The State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released its third annual State EdTech Trends survey and report. With this survey of state education technology (edtech) directors, superintendents, commissioners of education, and other state-level policymakers, SETDA aims to catalog the way state education agencies are adapting to the opportunities and risks of increasingly ubiquitous technology.

Four Key Findings

The report presents four key findings based on the survey: 

1. State agencies are stepping up to meet the demand for more support on the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in education.

2. For the second year in a row, cybersecurity is the top edtech priority among state leaders, but fewer state leaders believe their state is providing sufficient funding to support connectivity. 

3. Anxiety about funding appears to increase as federal pandemic funds expire, while home connectivity and access remain the top unmet needs across states.

4. New survey questions reveal opportunities for state education leaders to support the effective and equitable use of edtech as states appear to invest more in their own capacity.

More Support for the Responsible Adoption of AI in Education

The 2024 EdTech Trends survey reflects the excitement and concern of educators and policymakers coming to grips with the role of artificial intelligence in education. In May 2023, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance to educators and developers on the future of AI in education. Ninety percent of respondents reported receiving increased interest in guidance related to AI, and 14 percent said that their states had initiatives underway related to AI, up from just two percent in 2023.

The 2024 survey was the first to give survey takers the option to list AI as their state’s top priority. The topic emerged as the second-biggest priority for state leaders.

Cybersecurity is the Top Edtech Priority among State Leaders

Cybersecurity was the top priority for state leaders. In 2023, K-12 districts were the most frequent victims of cyber attacks among public-sector targets, including hospitals and government offices. The Federal Communications Commission recently launched a $200 million Pilot Program to support cybersecurity services for schools and libraries. School leaders fear that the rise of AI may make systems that often include personally identifiable information even more vulnerable. 

Compared to last year, fewer respondents believed that their states provided “sufficient” funds for cybersecurity. However, this is likely a reflection of shifting perceptions of costs. In other words, last year’s “ample funding" might be this year’s insufficient funding.

As Pandemic Funds Expire, Home Connectivity Remains the Top Unmet Need 

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will expire in October 2024, and unused funds will return to the federal government. An estimated 92 percent of local education agencies have used ESSER funds to purchase edtech tools, while also relying on the Affordable Connectivity Plan and Emergency Connectivity Fund—both of which sunsetted in the summer of 2024—to connect students at home. 

State leaders are anxious about the anticipated fiscal cliff, with the percentage of state leaders identifying funding as the top unmet need increasing to 26 percent, up from 22 percent in 2023. This was second only to concerns about addressing home access and connectivity, the top concern at 27 percent.

New Opportunities to Support Effective and Equitable Edtech

The U.S. Department of Education’s  2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) recommends that every state education agency staff an office of educational technology. The 2024 State EdTech Trends survey asked about edtech capacity within state education agencies: 65 percent of respondents indicated that their state has an office of educational technology, up from 55 percent the last time this question was asked in 2022.

The NETP also recommends that educators adopt Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. UDL is a framework to optimize teaching and learning that involves multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement with educational content, and education technology is uniquely suited to support it. However, only 38 percent of respondents indicated that their states provide guidance to schools to ensure that edtech tools adhere to UDL principles, while 44 percent reported that they do not provide this type of guidance at all. There is an opportunity for more states to help educators and leaders incorporate UDL principles into their practices, especially considering the importance of closing the digital design divide, one of the NETP’s three edtech divides.

Conclusion

The 2024-25 school year has begun, and will continue to bring new edtech opportunities and challenges. States have a pivotal role in developing the policies and implementing the programs that foster innovation, ensure equitable access and readiness, and protect the rights of students and educators. State offices can help educators and leaders identify and sustain best practices and address challenges. 

Collaboration and communication are critical to creating equitable, technology-rich schools and districts for all students.

For More on Education and Digital Equity

• How States Are Working to Achieve Education and Digital Equity Goals
• New Mexico's Commitment to Partnership and Progress Towards Digital Equity
• North Carolina's Approach to Digital Equity and Education
• Digital and Educational Equity: How States Plan to Partner with Educational Institutions
• Digital Equity and Adult Education
• Department of Education's Plan to Close the Three EdTech Divides

Quick Bits

• NTIA Fact Sheet: Bridging the Digital Divide
• Lumen Defaults on its RDOF Obligations in Four States
• FCC Opens Docket to Review UScellular's Transfer of Spectrum Licenses and Leases to T-Mobile

Weekend Reads

• FCC Opens Eighteenth Inquiry on State of Broadband in the U.S. 
• Local Estimates of Internet Adoption
• Proposals to Improve Broadband Program Alignment Report
• The Digital Inclusion Program Manual

ICYMI from Benton

• A BEAD Program Progress Report 
• My (Oh I Wish) Closing Argument to the House BEAD Hearing
• Is Broadband Reaching All Americans?
• Montana's Data-Driven Affordability Plans
• Connecting Massachusetts with Affordable Broadband

Upcoming Events

Sep 17––NextGen Accessibility Summit (TDIforAccess)

Sep 18––Task Force For Reviewing The Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States (FCC)

Sep 18––Empowerment Through Access: Elevating AANHPI Communities in the Digital Age (Asian Americans Advancing Justice)

Sep 19-21––TPRC52 (Telecommunications Policy Research Conference)

Sep 26––September 2024 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)

Oct 2-––AnchorNets 2024 (SHLB)

Oct 14-15––Michigan Broadband Summit (Merit)

Oct 15––2024 Maryland Statewide Digital Equity Summit

Oct 17––October 2024 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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