Future Ready Learning

In February 2015, the Johns Hopkins Center for Research and Reform in Education
released a 2014 mid-year evaluation of the S.T.A.T. initiative’s impact on the 10 pilot
Lighthouse Schools. 5 Although the report contains early baseline data, findings suggest
that these schools are beginning to reflect the goals of S.T.A.T.
PLANNING FOR THE FAST TRACK: TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION IN VANCOUVER
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
In 2013, voters in the Vancouver Public School District, which serves more than 23,000
students, passed a $24 million technology levy after a community outreach and
awareness campaign under the leadership of Superintendent Steve Webb. The levy
eased one of the greatest challenges of a digital learning implementation—how to pay
for it. It also put pressure on the district to develop and execute a plan that would have
an impact quickly.
As one teacher put it, the district rapidly went from “totally analog, creating notes
pages for students on overhead projector transparencies, to laptops for all teachers to
a technology deployment that today equips every student and teacher with a tablet.”
Central to the implementation were the values of equity and excellence. From the
outset, the district viewed technology as a means to close achievement gaps between
high-need, underserved student populations and historically higher performing
students.
Equipping every student with a tablet was motivated by student learning needs.
Crucial to the implementation plan are a number of pilot programs, focused on serving
the unique needs of different populations, currently under way in selected schools. For
example, English language learners received devices and other digital tools equipped
with translation and language development software.
To extend learning beyond the confines of the school day, and to bridge the digital
divide in communities and homes across Vancouver, the district also is outfitting
school buses with wireless Internet and creating hot spots at community centers and
other anchor community locations such as neighborhood churches.
Ubiquitous Connectivity
Reliable connectivity, like water and electricity, is foundational to creating an effective learning
environment. Students and teachers cannot take advantage of the opportunities to connect and
engage globally or leverage high-quality learning resources without consistent and reliable
access to the Internet. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights
issued a Dear Colleague letter in October 2014 that included access to technology as an important
component of equity of access within U.S. schools.
Connectivity at School
President Obama’s ConnectED initiative set a goal for 99 percent of students in the country to
have Internet access at a minimum of 100 megabits per second per 1,000 students, with a target
speed of one gigabit per second by 2018. Efforts by federal, state, and local institutions in recent
years have made huge strides toward this goal. The modernization of the E-rate program in
2014 provided billions of additional dollars to help districts improve the speed of and access to
OFFICE OF Educational Technology
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