Technology Monitoring and Information Service

Mailings June 2006 - July 2005

June 2006

June 1, 2006 - State Profile Updates and the SES Policy Update Alert were sent to subscribers along with the following Washington Update topics:

New USED Guidance Encourages More Private Schools to Provide Supplemental Educational Services for Eligible Title I Students Which Could Create Expanded Opportunities for Firms to Develop Partnerships with Private Schools;
New USED Study Confirms Targeting of Schools Identified for Improvement as Best Prospects for New Adoption/Purchasing of Math or Reading Curricula;
National Math Panel Created by Executive Order With Expert Panelists Finally Appointed;
In a Policy Shift, What Works Clearinghouse is Posting Abstracts of Evidence on the Effectiveness of Interventions From Studies Which Are Less Rigorous than the “Gold Bar Standard” of Randomized Trials;
The Nonpartisan and Influential NCTQ New Report Finds Only 15 Percent of Teachers’ Colleges Have Courses That Address the Five Essential Components of Scientifically-Based Reading Instruction and Recommends That Elementary Teachers Should Be Required to Pass a Test in Reading to Achieve “Highly-Qualified Teacher” Status;
While USED Awards $30 Million in Grants Under the Official Striving Readers Program, An Additional $89 Million Will Be Awarded in Grants Under the Smaller Learning Communities Program For Use and Evaluation of Similar Reading and Math Interventions for Struggling High School Students;
Almost Half of the Governors Named Early Childhood Education As a Priority in Their State-of-State Addresses;
Technology Counts 2006 Findings Confirm Some Trends But Is Confusing in Certain Areas; and
New Report Could Help Firms With Different Types of Products or Services Decide What States and Districts to Target.

May 2006

May 1, 2006 - This issue featured State Profile Updates and the following Washington Update topics:

Two New Studies Report Findings on State and District School Improvement Strategies and Interventions Which Are Felt to be “Very” or “Moderately” Successful in Schools Identified for Improvement;
New USED Non-Regulatory Guidance Envisions Schoolwide Programs as the Top Priority Reform Strategy and Vehicle for Increasing Student Achievement for All Students Mandated Under NCLB;
NCSL Reports Solid State Fiscal Conditions;
Report from U.S. Census Bureau Provides Much Useful Information on the Finances of Education;
USED Policy Letter to Chief State School Officers Allows More States to Adopt “Same Subject, All Grade Levels” Option for Identifying Districts in Improvement Which Could Increase the Number of Districts Providing Their Own Supplemental Educational Services;
Findings from Two New Studies Support Some Arguments Made By Success For All and Reading Recovery in Their Legal Complaints About USED Implementation of Reading First, Filed with the Office of Inspector General at USED Which is Currently Investigating the Allegations;
Seventy-Two National Education Groups Agree Upon Recommended Changes in NCLB While Several Very Influential Groups Reveal Different Priorities and Intents;
New USED Supported “Research-to-Practice Database” Identifies Academic and Behavioral Interventions That Work With Students with Certain Disabilities;
New Academic Competitiveness Council Initiates Review of more Than 200 Math and Science Education Programs Among Thirteen Other Federal Agencies With the Intent to Improve their Alignment with NCLB, or to Identify Effective Practices or to Eliminate Some????; and
New USED Guidance on Academic Competitiveness Grants and Recent Award of State Scholars Grants to Eight New States Could Increase the Momentum for Districts Adopting More “Rigorous High School Course of Studies.”

May 19, 2006 - SES Policy Update Alert

April 2006

April 1, 2006 - This issue featured the following Washington Update topics as well as State Profile Updates.

Mixed Signals and Messages During the Recent Education Industry Association Education Summit and Discussions With Congressional Staff Point to the Need For Further Changes in NCLB Supplemental Educational Services Policy;
Highlights of Major Issues Related to Technology Use Discussed During the Software & Information Industry Association Fly-In and Congressional Visits, March 7-9;
Highlights of Council of Great City Schools Legislative Summit Includes No New USED Policy Changes But Strongly Hints at Several Which Are Likely to Occur Shortly;
District Mood Toward NCLB Consequences Changes From Anger to Slight Resignation With Prospects for Amendments No Earlier Than 2008; and
New SETDA Report Identifies Trends on How E²T² Title II D Funds Are Being Used and SEA Priorities in Competitive Grants.

March 2006

March 1, 2006 - State Profile Updates were included in this TechMIS mailing and a Special Report entitled “Bush’s Federal Education Current and Proposed Budgets go From Bad to Worse.” The Washington Update topics included the following:

Recent State AYP Data Suggests That Fewer Districts Are Being Identified for Improvement Thereby Providing Slight Increases in Opportunities for Partnering with Districts to Operate Their own SES Programs; However, the Number of Schools Identified and Having to Provide Supplemental Educational Services Doubled over the Last Year Which Also Suggests 20 Percent Earmarks for SES Will Likely Be Actually Spent;
During Education Industry Association Congressional Briefing, Private Providers Call for Improved District-Independent SES Provider Relationship to Ensure Better Recruitment and Improved Attendance While at the Same Time Downplaying the Effects of Federal Education Funding Cuts;
Education Industry Association Releases Results from SES Providers’ Survey;
The Congressional Research Service Issues a Status Report on Reading First Implementation Issues and Controversies;
New Report Could Help Firms With Specific Products and/or Services Identify Priority States to Target to Take Advantage of Opportunities Created by New USED “Flexibilities” and “Policy Changes” Related to NCLB; and
Rumblings and Reflections Gathered From the AASA Exhibit Floor and During Superintendent Receptions.

March 20, 2006 - Special Report entitled “Preliminary Title I Allocations to Districts Receiving Significant Increases.”

February 2006

February 2, 2006 - TechMIS mailing included State Profile Updates as well as the following Washington Update topics:

State K-12 Funding Increases Will Soften Blow of Federal Title I Cuts in Only a Limited Number of States;
Title I Budget Cut for FY 2006 and District Funding Allocation Uncertainties Strongly Suggest Firms Should Target Districts with Relatively Large SES, Choice, and Professional Development Earmarks;
New NCES Report on Student Enrollments, Staff, Schools, Charter Schools, and Other Topics by State Could Assist Firms in Identifying Priority Targets for Certain Products and Services;
If Passed By the House, the Academic Competitiveness Grants Program Designed by the Senate to Encourage More Students to Enroll in Math and Science Post-Secondary Courses, Could Impact Local and State Prerogatives in Designing/Selecting High School Curriculum, Possibly Creating an Increased Demand for Rigorous Distance Learning Courses;
Two Resources Should Assist Firms in Positioning Products and Services for Use in Prereferral Interventions Under the “Early Intervening Services” Provision of IDEA; and
USED Placing Higher Priority on Title I Monitoring; Audit Findings in a Number of States Over the Last Two Years Suggest Areas Where Opportunities May Increase.

January 2006

January 5, 2006 - This TechMIS mailing included State Profile Updates. Washington Update topics include:

Administration Likely to Propose a New Math/Science Initiative Designed to Make U.S. More Competitive in the Global Economy;
Early Intervening Services Update: Large Districts Are Most Likely to Be Required to Allocate 15 Percent of IDEA Flow-Through Funds for Early Intervening Services;
New Report Identifies Emerging Practices and Issues Related to State Assessments Involving Special Education Students;
USED Publishes Draft Regulations for Comment on Use of Modified Assessments and Standards Aligned to Grade Level Content for Students With Academic Impairments and, Without Much Fanfare, Allows Greater Flexibility for Districts In Other Areas Which Should Reduce the Number of Schools and Districts Identified for Improvement;
USED Outlines Functionality of Multi-Year Individualized Education Program Model and Proposed Requirements and Selection Criteria for Up to 15 States to Participate in Multi-Year IEP Demonstration;
USED Releases Updated and Expanded Consumer Guide on Selecting Comprehensive School Reform Models, While at the Same Time Pushing Congress to Cut All funds for Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Act, the Major Funding Source, in Spite of Positive Evaluation Findings of the Effectiveness of CSRD By the Office of Management and Budget;
Education Week Webcast Online Chat on the Problems and Potential of Computer-Based Tests (CBT), Including Online Assessments, Points to a Promising Future for Certain Types of Assessments;
Hurricane Relief Amount to $1.6 Billion for Schools Which Were Damaged or Enrolled Displaced Students Passes As Part of Defense Department Appropriation;
FY 2006 Appropriations Update; and
New Study From the National Governors Association Highlights State Spending.

December 2005

December 23, 2005 - Funding Alert - FY 2006 Appropriation Passed

November 2005

November 8, 2005 - Title I Funding Alert

November 18, 2005 - E-Rate Update and FY 2006 Appropriations

November 30, 2005 - The TechMIS report included State Profile Updates and the following Washington Update topics:

New Report Highlights K-12 Online Learning Trends Regarding Enrollments, Course Offerings, Online Instruction Policies, and Expenditures; However, Opportunities for Publishers and Technology Vendors Can Only Be Inferred From Overall Growth Trends;
New GAO Report Concludes More Districts Are Using Title II A, Teacher Quality Funds and Title I Funds for Professional Development -- A Trend Likely To Continue Over the Next Couple of Years;
New USED Publication Provides Rationale for Newly-Found “Flexibilities” Under the Spellings Regime and Points to Additional Options Available to States and Districts in the Very Near Future;
State Expenditures for State Pre-K Expenditures Increased Slightly Over 20 Percent to $3.5 Billion Over the Last Year With Increases of More Than 30 Percent in Ten States Pointing to the Emergence of a Growing Niche Market in the Future;
Many States Await Issuance of USED Guidance on “Modified Assessments” for Special Education Students Under the So-Called “Two Percent Cap” Flexibility; Opportunities Will Increase for Firms Which Can Work With States in Selecting/Developing Modified Assessments and Directly Related Interventions;
New International Reading Association Collaborative Identifies Suggested roles for Middle and High School Literacy Coaches Who Will Increasingly Become Important Influencers/Decision-Makers In Selecting Instructional and Related Programs; and
FCC Releases Eligible Services List For Funding Year 2006 Opening the Window for Eligible Entities to Submit Applications Beginning on December 6, 2005.

October 2005

October 5, 2005 - This TechMIS report included State Profile Updates and the following Washington Update topics:

Secretary Spellings Announces New Flexibility Options for Districts Impacted by Hurricanes in Calculating Adequate Yearly Progress and School Improvement Sanctions/Deadlines;
New Research Priorities for the Institute of Education Sciences Reflect Subtle Policy Changes and Could Have Direct Implications for Some Education Publishers;
New Survey Finds Teachers Perceive Technology as Having An Increasing Role in Their Activities, Particularly Administrative Functions; and
Education Funding Anxieties and Confusion Over Hurricane Relief Policies Dampens the Mood of the Committee for Education Funding Gala.

October 25, 2005 - Special Report - USED Reverses SES Policy Trend by No Longer Allowing Affiliated Entities of Florida Districts Identified for Improvement to Operate SES Programs.

October 31, 2005 - this TechMIS report included State Profile Updates and the following Washington Update topics:

Government Accountability Office Investigation of Reading First Approval Process of State Plans and Subsequent Implementation Will Have Significant Implications on Current and Future Reading First Activities and Will Likely Influence Other Education Initiatives;
Katrina Relief: Funding Update;
Good-Faith Reprieve by USED for States Not Likely to Meet Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) Requirements Next Year Could Create Opportunities for Certain Products and Services;
Administration Places a High Priority on Reducing the Minority Achievement Gap Over All Students Being Proficient by 2014;
Government Accountability Office Criticizes USED for Not Implementing Its 2002 Recommendation to Evaluate and Disseminate Existing Research on Effective Middle and High School Interventions to Reduce Dropout Rates, Particularly Inadequate Dissemination of Programs That Have Been Rigorously Evaluated;
Year 2 Case Studies of Supplemental Educational Services Actual Implementation Uncovers Some Surprising Findings; and
USED Places Higher Priority on Data-Driven Decision-Making Technology Tools and Services Allocating Small Business Innovation Research Funds and Possibly Title II D E²T² State Technology Grants for Such Purposes.

September 2005

September 7, 2005 – Special Report - “Secretary Spellings Issues First Waivers Providing Greater Flexibility in District Implementation of SES Provisions Which Could Create Greater Opportunities for Firms Wishing to Partner with Districts.”

September 20, 2005 – Special Report – “Emerging Federal Policy Changes Will Affect Education in States Impacted Directly or Indirectly by Katrina.”

September 28, 2005 – Special Report – “Opportunities for Online Solutions To Meet District Challenges Created by Katrina and Rita Appear to be High, Although Subtle Policy Changes Could Have Direct Impact.”

August 2005

August 4, 2005 - This TechMIS issue included a Special Report entitled, “Reading First Prescriptive Mandates Have Already Impacted Education Agencies and Have the Potential for an Even Greater Impact in the Future.” Washington Update topics included:

Senate Appropriations Committee Rejects Administration’s New Initiatives and Restores Many of the Administration and House Proposed Funding Cuts Thereby Increasing the Probability of the FY 2006 Education Budget Being Included in a Multi-Agency Omnibus Bill Which Will Include Across-the-Board Budget Cuts;
Senate Appropriations Committee Report Goes Beyond the Numbers by Communicating Congressional Intent to USED;
New Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report Confirms Newly-Created Opportunities in What States for Products and Services to Assist States in Implementing Alternative Assessments for Academically-Disabled Students or “Gap Students”; and
Education Industry Association (EIA) Eduventures Conference Addresses Opportunities in High School Reform and New IDEA Special Education Niche Market.

August 16, 2005 - A Special Report entitled “Districts with Over-Representation of Minorities in Existing Special Education Programs Must Allocate 15 Percent of IDEA Funding for Prereferral or Early Intervening Services” was sent to subscribers.

August 30, 2005 - the TechMIS issue included State Profile Updates as well as the following Washington Update topics:

New Center on Education Policy Survey Finds Funding and Other Support for Remediation and Exit Exam Test Preparation Increasing With Significant Growth in Use of Online Delivery;
New USED Non-Regulatory Guidance on Alternative Assessments and Achievement Standards for Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities Not Only Provides Flexibility for Districts in Key Areas But Also Can Create A Demand for Certain Products and Services;
New USED Guidance Is More Prescriptive on Allowable Uses of Title II A Teacher Quality Than Earlier Guidance;
New First-of-its-Kind Study Finds SES Afterschool Programs in Chicago Increased Reading Scores Beyond Expectations for Lower Achieving Students and That the CPS-Operated Afterschool Program Was the Most Cost-Effective, Providing a Justification for CPS Once Again to Request that USED Allow the CPS-Operated Program to be Continued Using Title I Funds;
Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll Finds Increased Parent Resistance to NCLB Generally and Specific Components Involving Them Directly; and
NCES Analysis Describes Characteristics of Public School Teachers’ Professional Development Activities.

July 2005

This issue included State Profile Updates, a Special Report entitled “New SES Non-Regulatory Guidance From USED Provides Greater Flexibility Which Could Create Expanded Opportunities for Some TechMIS Subscribers,” and the following Washington Update topics:

USED Slowly Approving Some Requested Amendments to State Plans and Generally What They Mean;
Illinois State Policies on SES Conflict With New USED Guidance – Resolution Could Establish Precedent;
Standard & Poor’s Study of Urban School Districts Addresses “Myths” of Urban Education; and
Highlights of Association of Education Publishers Meeting.