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SETDA Releases 'Navigating the Digital Shift 2019: Equitable Opportunities for All Learners'

  • 06/05/19

Washington, D.C. – The shift to digital instructional materials has continued to accelerate since SETDA first reported on the journey in the 2015.  SETDA, the principal membership association of the U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders, today announced the launch of the Navigating the Digital Shift 2019: Equitable Opportunities for All Learners report. Current data and trends, coupled with implementation exemplars provides valuable information for stakeholders charged with transforming learning in the digital age.

“Equity is the practice of leveling the playing field – of ensuring each student has what they need to achieve high standards,” stated Dr. Carmen I. Ayala, Illinois State Superintendent of Education. “Personalized instruction and supports lay at the heart of equity. Digital tools, coupled with high-quality professional learning, are critical so that teachers can practice equity in the classroom. I appreciate the Navigating the Digital Shift report for celebrating progress and promoting dialogue about the work still to be done,” Superintendent Ayala continued.

“In education, access and opportunities to utilize digital resources for learning provide students with the necessary skills and connections to be successful learners and contribute to their own futures.” stated Candice Dodson, Executive Director, SETDA. “In the report, SETDA shares how states are navigating this shift regarding instructional materials policies and practices, providing professional learning, supporting personalized learning, and ensuring essential conditions are in place.”

“In Navigating the Digital Shift, SETDA provides insight on key aspects of quality digital instructional materials that should be at the forefront of all evaluative processes,” shared Elizabeth James, Curricular Materials Coordinator, Idaho State Department of Education and President of the State Instructional Materials Review Association. “Equitable access to digital materials can make an enormous difference in what and how students learn.”

The Full Report and Document will be available here:  https://www.setda.org/priorities/digital-content/navigating-the-digital-shift2019/

Complementary to this work, SETDA’s 2019 State K12 Instructional Materials Leadership Trends Snapshot summarizes current state policies and practices in the selection and implementation of digital instructional materials. Additionally, stakeholders can access the Digital Instructional Materials Acquisition Policies for States (DMAPS), an online database providing details related to state and territory policies and practices for K12 instructional materials selection, implementation and procurement.

In addition, SETDA hosts the Essential Elements for Digital Content, a free online community to encourage dialogue about the shift to digital including the vetting process, accessibility, professional learning, OER, procurement, implementation and infrastructure.

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