EDUC 5373- Week 5 Blog (Budget and Policy Considerations)
Internet
access is not a major issue in my school community. The district is funded by the
Universal Service Fund (USF) or E-Rate, which provides affordable
telecommunication services. Overall, the district has ninety-two percent
broadband access, and while the community has wide broadband usage, the
locality in which my elementary school is located carries a significant portion
of those lacking broadband usage. This locality also includes 12.6 % of
families within the district falling below the poverty line, and 8.9% of these
families are aided with Food Stamp or SNAP benefits, hence purchasing these
digital resources would pose a challenge (National Center for Education
Statistics, 2025).
All
the students and other stakeholders within the school district have equal
access to computers and reliable internet connectivity. One issue of concern is
that some families of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds have
challenges accessing digital learning resources at home, which impacts the continuity
of learning.
Under
Title IV, Part A of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Student Support and
Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant, the majority of the technology education
funding can be utilized in the technology integration plan for empowering
educators through professional development. The International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE also endorses districts to utilize this funding
to build educators’ capacity to improve instruction. Fifteen percent of the ESSA
grant can also be used to purchase digital learning resources for students who
do not have access to internet connectivity and devices outside of school in
order for them to take ownership of their learning (ISTE. (2020).
Digital
learning and accessibility can be integrated in the technology integration plan
by ensuring all students and educators have equal access to all digital and
assistive tools, features, and content, irrespective of their abilities.
Title
I and Title IV, part A are federal funding that match the vision and
goal of the technology integration plan because the school district currently
receives these revenues, and other grants. They both support professional
development of educators and the purchasing of digital learning devices. They
are also in sync with the International Society for Technology in Education and
the ISTE essential conditions. The next step in moving forward with this plan is
to have dialogue with the Educators Innovative team and other stakeholders to
clarify any misconceptions.
According
to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), Section 4109 of Title IV, Part IV outlined that funding can
be used for professional development, acquiring digital devices, and conducting
innovative learning projects that will facilitate effective use of technology.
The
technology budget was not stated directly however, based on revenues from
federal sources, an amount of six hundred thousand is allocated to support
technology enhancement activities to improve students' academic learning
experiences (Hillside Public School District, 2025).
Policy
and budgeting are imperative guidelines that need to be in place to implement an
effective technology integration plan.
References
Crossland,
A., Gray, T., and Reynold, J. (2018). ESSA and digital learning: Closing the
digital accessibility gap. American Institute for Research. ED602482.pdf
Crossland,
A., Gray, T., and Reynold, J. (2018). ESSA and digital learning: Closing the
digital accessibility gap. American Institute for Research. ED602482.pdf
Hillside Public Schools.
(2024). 2024–2025 budget presentation. https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3984/HPS/4319770/Hillside_Public_Schools_Budget_Presentation___2024_eg_final___002_.pdf
ISTE. (2020). Using ESSA
to fund Edtech: Getting the most out of the Title IV-A. [2020
UPDATES] USING ESSA TO FUND EDTECH.pdf
National
Center for Education Statistics. (2025). Education Demographic and Geographic
Estimates. Retrieved from: https://nces.ed.gov/Programs/Edge/ACSDashboard/3407290
Office
of Educational Technology. (n.d.). Funding digital learning. Retrieved
from: https://tech.ed.gov/funding
Hi
There is a similar situation in my school district, where they have invested in student devices and network connectivity. I have focused on the use of the devices as the major divide. Like you, I'm looking at Title I and Title IV funding to help to pay for the Technology Integration Plan. I also think that professional development for educators is very important if we are going to use the devices to their potential. - Joanne Scott
ReplyDeleteTrecia,
ReplyDeleteI like how you connected the specific needs of your school community with funding sources. You also did a great job showing how ESSA and ISTE support your ideas. I’m curious to hear more about what working with the Educators Innovative team might look like. It sounds like a great next step!