"Ensuring high-speed broadband access for all students has become a critical national issue especially when considering the necessity for the use of technology in assessment, accountability, engagement, and preparing our students for work and life in the 21^st century," explains a report from The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). The report includes implementation, policy, funding, and e-rate tips. Key issues underscoring the importance of this resource for education are identified as:

• Teachers and students need high-speed broadband access in their schools to take advantage of a wide range of new and rich educational tools and resources available for learning anytime, anywhere
• Teachers need high-speed broadband access for professional development, and engaging in professional learning communities as well as accessing new educational resources such as curriculum cadres and education portals
• Administrators need high-speed broadband access to conduct online assessments and to access data for effective decision making
• Students need high-speed broadband access to overcome the digital divide in rural and low socio-economic areas.

SETDA recommends an external Internet connection to the Internet Service Provider of 10 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff to create a technology-rich learning environment for the next 2-3 years. In an extended timeframe of 5-7 years, the group recommends:

• An external Internet connection to the Internet Service Provider of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff
• Internal wide area network connections from the district to each school between schools of at least 1 Gbps per 1,000 students/staff

SETDA worked with stakeholders from all 50 states, education, and industry in developing the recommendations. This report identifies the key issues facing the educational community relating to robust connectivity and recommends how states and districts can successfully implement high-speed broadband in their schools. The report also provides stakeholders and policymakers with strategies and models for bringing this critical issue to the national and state policy level.

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal association for state directors of technology and their staff members providing professional development and leadership around the effective use of technology in education to enhance competitiveness in the global workforce.

Full report: Powerful Broadband Access for All: Breaking through the Barriers

Source: SETDA Press Release, US Education System Must Step-Up High-Speed Broadband Efforts to Maximize the Potential of Technology for Student Achievement and the 21^st Century Global Economy.