ConnectEd Initiative

The ConnectEd initiative is funded through Title IV Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which designates specific monies for the effective use of technology in schools.

[2] The ConnectEd Initiative was announced by President Obama in June 2013 during a speech Mooresville, North Carolina as a plan to increase broadband Internet access in schools, to partner with private companies for affordable devices and innovation, and to redesign school curriculum to better meet the needs of the digital age.

[4] This lack of access to internet at home can impact ability to perform on assessments, complete online assignments, and apply for jobs.

"[6] Shortly after Obama's 2013 speech unrolling the ConnectEd initiative, over 1,000 educators signed a petition to expand internet access in schools in November 2013.

The seven gears of the Framework include Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Use of Space and Time, Robust Infrastructure, Data and Privacy, Community Partnerships, Personalized Learning, and Budget and Resources.

[12] President Obama announced the ConnectEd goal "to provide 99 percent of American students with access to next-generation broadband in their classrooms and libraries by 2018.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also provides rural schools with an additional $10 million for distance learning.

The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has aided in building technology infrastructure in underserved areas and rural communities throughout the United States;[18] ConnectEd builds on these efforts, focusing especially on rural areas.

President Barack Obama stated in speech in Durham, Oklahoma, "while high-speed Internet access is a given, is assumed for millions of Americans, it's still out of reach for too many people, especially in low income and rural communities.

Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds also pay for professional development on computer-based assessmentcomputer-based assessments.

[3] "Participating hardware, software, wireless and professional development companies include: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has committed to providing funding for the ConnectEd initiative.

[27] The American Enterprise Institute has questioned whether the private company partners in the ConnectEd initiative are taking advantage of additional sales, market shares, or publicity rather than focusing on education policy.

[28] Kathryn Drohman from the University of Washington Tacoma has questioned the sustainability of technology tools in schools since they can quickly become obsolete, can be costly to attain and maintain, can be implemented in a variety of ways by individual teachers.

Additionally, a study of ninth graders conducted in 2014 in Portugal found that students who had more internet time had lower learning achievement scores.

[30] The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has cited several challenges for school districts in meeting ConnectEd's goals: high costs, growth level capacity, reliability of network service, increased digital needs, infrastructure maintenance, wireless connectivity, and addressing off-campus device needs.