Feedback Focus Groups

The Feedback Focus Groups (FFG) are designed to enable school leaders to frame challenges they are facing and discuss key education technology issues in a focus group setting. Each Forum has a specific focus of interest and concern to the K-12 education community, as well as to SIIA-member education technology companies.

2012 Feedback Focus Group

@ the 2012 CoSN Annual Conference 
March 7, 2012 • 7:30am
Embassy Room at the Omni Shoreham Hotel

The Feedback Forum is open to CoSN institutional members, CoSN Corporate members and SIIA Members and facilitated by Linda Winter, The Winter Group.

Click here to register

Tech Readiness for the 2014 Online Assessments

Starting in the 2014-2015 school year, most states will shift to online state assessments to measure student performance toward the common core state standards. Test development is being funded through the federal Race to the Top program, primarily through the SBAC and PARCC state consortia. The online format promises to enable more robust (i.e., comprehensive, authentic, timely and adaptive) measurement of student knowledge and skills to inform teaching, learning and accountability. Yet, realizing this innovation will require changes to teaching and learning, enhanced technology access, and professional development, among other challenges.

Join SIIA and CoSN for a feedback forum on this important topic. A focus group of education leaders will discuss the opportunities and challenges brought by these federally funded, computer-based assessments. Among the topics they will explore:

• What sorts of challenges do you envision from the curriculum and technology parts of your district as we move to online testing?
• What additional hardware and connectivity is needed, and how will this be addressed in the current budget climate without crowding out instructional use of technology?
• What is being done to prepare for this shift, and what might happen where that preparation falls short?
• How might test validity and security be impacted in a BYOD environment?
• Given this goal of high stakes online tests by 2014, how will it impact your budget for technology this year and next? Are you making special requests for funds from your district or state to fund investment in infrastructure, devices and/or applications.

 
About the FFG: