White House Releases Comprehensive Education Technology Plan Produced by AIR
Washington, D.C. – The White House and U.S. Department of Education are celebrating today two federal education technology initiatives undertaken by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The Office of Educational Technology released the 2016 National Education Technology Plan on the one-year anniversary of Future Ready, an effort to increase digital learning opportunities.
“Technology can be a powerful tool to transform education. Used right, it can address equity and accessibility concerns while creating more engaging learning experiences for students,” AIR managing director and report lead Tracy Gray said. “We are thrilled to be part of this important initiative, which offers a five-year roadmap to transform formal and informal learning supported by technology.”
The plan, Future Ready: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education, builds on 2010’s report and shares new technology advances and research on how technology and digital resources can enhance teaching and learning. It is written for educators, researchers, policymakers, technology innovators, community-based leaders, students and their families.
To produce the report, AIR reached out to hundreds of experts and innovators in technology, academia and education seeking recommendations for improving digital learning in the classroom and beyond. The plan’s calls to action include the need to redesign teacher-preparation programs; improve technology-based assessments; adopt high-quality openly licensed educational materials; and build a robust technology infrastructure.
The Office of Educational Technology also marked the first anniversary of Future Ready by releasing a research-based Future Ready Leaders rubric and collection of professional learning videos for school district leaders. The AIR-developed resource asks leaders to reflect on the issues their districts face, then curates for them a personalized playlist of videos.
“We’ve learned in our years of working on Future Ready that while empowering teachers through technology is important, it’s really district leaders who can scale up impact,” AIR senior technical assistance consultant Marshal Conley said. “The rubric and videos can help district leaders set a vision for innovative change.”
The launch event and anniversary celebration for both initiatives are being held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.
About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.
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