Technology Budgeting for Your School: Find the Funds! EDUC 5373 Blog 5
Internet access is not an issue at Epic Charter Schools because we provide mifis for all our students if they do not already have access. Due to this, it is not part of my Technology Integration Plan. However, if broadband access were made available in more rural areas, and more affordable in all locations, this would still help our community because once our students leave Epic, they will not have access to the mifi any longer.The Biden-Harris Administration's Internet for All initiative has set out to deliver high-speed internet that both affordable and reliable to all American citizens. Internetforall.gov states that the digital divide affects communities of color alongside rural and low-income families disproportionately. Accessible broadband would solve the challenges students encounter after leaving school by allowing them continued access to online education as well as job opportunities and civic participation. The website states that affordable and reliable internet access remains crucial for Americans to maintain employment, attend school, access healthcare services, and remain connected. Better broadband access will enable our students to succeed in digital environments after they graduate from Epic Charter Schools.
Despite having resolved access problems at Epic there are outstanding digital literacy challenges that require our attention. Our district will require continuous technology funding. With the hope that it is renewed, ESSA represents one potential funding source to support technological needs in our district. Crossland et al. (2018) highlight ESSA's emphasis on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and digital learning through personalized and blended instruction while promoting technology to support learner variability and expand digital learning accessibility for all students. The technology vision statement developed for Epic matches its objective to create an interactive digital learning setting that enhances students' higher-order thinking skills to bridge the second-level digital divide and empower all learners. The plan highlights the necessity to measure school effectiveness to guarantee student success, alongside the document's recommendation to employ technology to bridge achievement gaps.
Additional funding options exist outside of ESSA support. Grant opportunities for digital learning are available through the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust (OETT). Epic’s Technology Integration Plan can receive funding from OETT grants which the K20 Center at OU makes available. The grants provide support for teacher professional development as well as new technology acquisition and digital literacy program implementation. The district should monitor available grants and apply accordingly to support the plan's goals, which will enhance Epic's funding diversity.
According to ISTE (2020) professional learning stands as a priority while allocating Title IV-A funds and states that building educator capacity should be the primary focus, with device and software expenditures limited to 15%. This guidance strongly supports Epic's professional development plan, which includes personalized professional learning opportunities, various training methods, and ongoing support for teachers to integrate technology effectively. ISTE also emphasizes the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, which will be a part of Epic’s Technology integration plan. It will have District Technology Coordinators (DTC) and micro teams designed to ensure continuous communication and feedback.
The specific funding option that might be a good fit for Epic’s Technology Integration Plan is found in the ISTE publication USING ESSA TO FUND EDTECH - Getting the Most Out of Title IV-A (ISTE, 2020). In the section titled “Effective Use of Technology,” it points out ESSA funds that can and should be used for professional development. It discusses specifically using those funds for the ISTE Certification. In Epic’s Technology Integration Plan, there will be a Technology Integrations Specialist who will be expected to be ISTE Certified. According to this ISTE document, we could use the ESSA funds to pay for that certification.
After reviewing the district budget and interviewing an administrator who has dealt with budgeting before, most of the technology budget is funded within the instruction fund. The learning fund, which is provided for every student within Epic who enrolled before mid-October, allows students to “purchase” (it must be returned once they leave Epic) their technology. The amount available is $1000, and students who enroll after mid-October do not have access to the learning fund, but will still be provided with the technology and curriculum needed to complete their work. The current instruction budget is 61.84% of the total budget at Epic. The professional development budget is also likely part of that same fund, but knowing that it is possible to get ESSA funds would help alleviate some of the burden from that fund.
Overall, Epic does a great job of providing technology to meet the needs of students. However, we need to focus on teaching them how to use that technology.
Resources:
Crossland, A., Gray, T., and Reynold, J. (2018). ESSA and digital learning: Closing the digital accessibility gap. American Institute for Research.
Department of Commerce. (n.d.). Internet for All. Retrieved from https://www.internetforall.gov/
ISTE. (2020). Using ESSA to fund EdTech: Getting the most out of Title IV-A.
K20 Center (n.d.). OETT Grants. https://k20center.ou.edu/oett-grants/
Hi Liz! I really enjoyed your blog post. Overall, your post effectively communicates Epic Charter Schools' current technology provision, future aspirations for broader impact, strategic funding considerations, and a clear understanding of the importance of both access and effective technology integration through professional development. It demonstrates a proactive and thoughtful approach to leveraging technology for student success. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat work looking at how Epic can obtain more funds to support technology integration. I also thought ESSA could be a good avenue to pursue more funding for professional development. By providing educators with ongoing training, the digital use divide can begin to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteElizbeth,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time reading your blog. I just read Sarah’s blog, and I’m curious are you both at the same school or different schools under the Epic umbrella? I see you’re looking into the broadband proposal that passed during the Biden administration. I just listened to a podcast with Jon Stewart a couple of days ago, interviewing Ezra Klein from The New York Times. They discussed the bill, and it seems like a total mess. There are so many hurdles that have to be jumped through to get broadband to these rural communities. It seems like the policymakers had their heart in the right place, but their head was on backwards because it’s so hard to make it through the entire process. I forgot exactly what it was but something like of the 40+ districts that signed up, only about 3 made it to the final stage because it’s so difficult and convoluted. Anyways, I like how you highlighted possible funding opportunities with grants like the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust and ESSA funds. I’m looking forward to your blog next week and seeing how things develop.
All the best,
James Robinson
Hi Liz, wonderful job creating your post. You are lucky that EPIC does a great job making sure that your students have the tech that they need. It is sad though that teachers do not have the training and supports for the technology themselves. I Feel that I have a similar situation in my district where there is not a lot of training when it comes to the tech that we use. Great work!
ReplyDelete