Budget Puts NCLB Implementation At Risk: Education Leaders Express Outrage at Elimination of Education Technology Funding

For more information contact:

Jon Bernstein, CoSN, 202/478-6191
Barbara McDonald, ISTE, 541.349.7575
Melinda George, SETDA, 703.533.3770

For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C. - February 7, 2005 - The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) joined together to express outrage over the elimination of the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program in the President's FY2006 Department of Education budget. Just last year, the Administration sought $692 million for the program in its FY2005 budget. The EETT program is the only federal initiative that provides dedicated funding for technology needs to nearly all of the nation's K-12 schools. Schools and districts rely heavily on EETT funds as a core means for meeting No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) goals and requirements around improving student achievement.

"Last month, the Department of Education concluded in its National Education Technology Plan that: 'Technology ignites opportunities for learning, engages today's students as active learners and participants in decision-making on their own educational futures and prepares our nation for the demands of a global society in the 21st Century.' Today, the Administration has moved to zero-out the central source of education technology funding. This plainly shows that the Administration is unwilling to put their money where the policy is," said Bob Moore, Chairman of the Board of CoSN.

"This is not a technology issue, this is an education issue. In most states, EETT is the only source of federal funding to develop the infrastructure and data systems needed to implement NCLB accountability goals and report on AYP requirements. For 25 percent of states, the federal EETT Grant is the sole source of funding to support technology in schools. These funds allow schools to build a productive workforce to compete in the global economy and offer an opportunity to improve Teacher Quality through distance learning programs. These cuts will affect all of our nation's schools and students," said Anita Givens, Chair of the Board of SETDA.

"These proposed cuts send precisely the wrong message at the wrong time. Educators around the country are grappling with implementing No Child Left Behind, capitalizing on every resource at their disposal to increase student achievement, student learning, teaching skills, and efficiency. This funding proposal is both counterproductive and ultimately tragic in that it deprives educators of tools they so desperately need and students of opportunities they so desperately desire," said Jan Van Dam, ISTE Board President and retired Assistant Superintendent.

"The Administration's elimination of the EETT program will spell the end of meaningful technology training for the 2,600 teachers in Calcasieu Parish Public Schools, will result in greatly reduced technology opportunities for the 35,000 students who attend our schools, and will cause me to eliminate up to six full time technology positions. The real world impact of these cuts is extremely devastating, " said Sheryl Abshire, Administrative Coordinator of Technology at Calcasieu Parish Public Schools in Lake Charles, Louisiana and a member of ISTE and CoSN.

Authorized as Title II-D of the NCLB, EETT enables schools to address core teaching and learning needs through technology tools, including:

• access to courses online otherwise not available to rural and urban students,
• equipping teachers to take advantage of new and emerging technology tools,
• providing students with the tools to compete in a highly competitive global employment market,
• continual assessment of student progress through computer-based testing, and
• disaggregation and reporting of student adequate yearly progress (AYP) data.

States distribute funds to districts with 50% allocated by poverty-weighted formula and 50% by competition. EETT gives schools broad discretion to spend their money on a wide range of technology acquisition, enrichment and integration purposes with at least 25% required for professional development.

About CoSN

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a national non-profit organization, is the premier voice in education technology leadership. Our mission is to advance the K-12 education community's capacity to effectively use technology to improve learning through advocacy, policy and leadership development. Our members represent school districts, state and local education agencies, nonprofits, companies and individuals who share our vision. For further information, visit www.cosn.org.

About ISTE

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source in education technology for professional development, knowledge generation, and advocacy. A nonprofit membership organization, ISTE provides leadership and service to improve teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), ISTE represents more than 85,000 worldwide leaders and potential leaders in educational technology. We support our members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of integrating technology into schools. For more information, visit www.iste.org.

About SETDA

The State Educational Technology Directors Association is the principal association representing the state directors for educational technology. SETDA promotes national leadership in educational technology to support achievement in lifelong learning, provides professional development for state educational technology directors and builds partnerships to advance learning opportunities and improve student achievement through technology. For more information, visit www.setda.org.