Future Ready Learning

Appendix C
The Development of the 2016 NETP
The 2016 NETP builds on the foundation of the 2010 Plan, Transforming American Education:
Learning Powered by Technology. The 2016 NETP explores the exciting advances, opportunities,
and research that illustrate how teaching and learning can be enhanced with the innovative use
of technology and openly licensed content and resources. The 2016 NETP offers a vision of how
technology can transform formal and informal learning, the critical elements such as qualified
teachers and staff, high-quality curriculum and resources, strong leadership, robust infrastructure,
and aligned assessments.
The development of the 2016 NETP began with a series of meetings with the TWG, which consisted
of 13 leading educators, technology innovators, and researchers. The first meeting was
a one-day gathering to develop the vision and overarching themes. On the basis of expertise
and interest, each of the TWG members was assigned to a sub-group to focus on one of the five
key topic areas: Learning, Teaching, Leadership, Assessment, and Infrastructure. TWG members
provided feedback that informed the development of the 2016 NETP outline and working
drafts, including the identification of relevant research and exemplary programs. The TWG
reviewed two drafts and offered their comments and recommendations, which were incorporated
into the final document. In addition, a group of national content experts and members
of key stakeholder groups reviewed and provided feedback on an early draft, which was also
incorporated into the document.
The 2016 NETP also was informed by a series of interviews conducted by the AIR team with
31 leaders from the U.S. Department of Education; the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy; and other government agencies, technology innovators, and nonprofit
organizations. These interviews provided valuable insight into the priorities and practices being
implemented to further the goals of ensuring equity and accessibility to high-quality instruction
enabled by technology for all students.
In addition, the AIR team convened a series of nine face-to-face and eight virtual focus groups to
gather further insights and recommendations for the 2016 NETP. The participants represented
a broad cross section of key stakeholders, including practitioners, state and local administrators,
technology innovators, experts, and developers. The focus groups also provided the opportunity
for participants to identify exemplars of the innovative use of technology in formal and informal
educational settings.
Throughout the development process for the 2016 NETP, attention was focused on the compilation
and review of proposed examples to illustrate the innovative use of technology across the
five areas of Learning, Teaching, Leadership, Assessment, and Infrastructure. Suggestions were
collected from the TWG members, interviewees, focus group participants, and AIR and OET
staff. In addition, the AIR team conducted a review of the literature, a survey of national education
technology initiatives (for example, Future Ready, CoSN, ISTE, and Digital Promise), and
Internet searches to identify these exemplary programs and initiatives. More than 235 examples
OFFICE OF Educational Technology
99