Ann Ware posted on January 06, 2012 16:49
The report, The Digital Learning Imperative: How Teaching and Technology Meet Today's Educational Challenges, comes one month in advance of the first-ever national Digital Learning Day scheduled for Wednesday, February 1, which is spearheaded by the Alliance.
"In just the last two years," Bob Wise noted, "many more states, districts, and school leaders are looking for technology solutions and the number of students taking online courses or using mobile devices to learn is soaring. Yet the nation's education system has made only incremental progress toward ensuring all students graduate from high school ready for college and a career."
According to the report, which significantly updates and expands on an Alliance brief released in 2010, the United States faces three critical challenges in education:
1.) America's high schools are not improving fast enough so that all students are graduating college and career ready and able to compete in a rapidly changing world. Presently, the nation cannot meet President Obama's goals for college completion without dramatically improving the quality of learning in secondary schools.
2.) Continued economic strains on state and local tax bases mean most schools have little hope for new funding sources or increases anytime soon, forcing leaders to rethink how resources are used. State policymakers and education leaders will continue to be challenged with raising student performance amidst tightened budgets.
3.) Many students still do not have access to highly qualified, skilled teachers; the best available teaching strategies that meet their individual needs; or enriching learning experiences.