Data Systems
Kansas City Schools Strengthen Data Sharing with Social Service Agencies 
Government Technology, February 19, 2019, Adam Stone
Kansas City Public Schools, Social Solutions and the Ballmer group have signed an agreement to promote data sharing among non-profit organizations that will give them “greater insight into the lives of the students they serve.” The first-of-its-kind initiative will give non-profit organizations a clearer look into communities to drive decision making. The software being used in the initiative will also comply with FERPA to ensure student data privacy.
 
Take the Long View When Evaluating 1-to-1 Computing Efforts, Researcher Says 
EdWeek, February 12, 2019, Michelle Davis
Evaluations of K-12 1-to-1 computer programs often occur at the 2-year mark. New research presented in the Journal of Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis indicates that these 1-to-1 computing programs may need more time to determine both significant and meaningful impact on students. Researchers looked at student test scores and survey data as well as planning and implementation efforts in Mooresville, NC over an eight-year period. “The researchers found that in the short term, test score improvements in math and reading were statistically insignificant compared with other districts. But in the 'medium term'—four and five years after implementation—math scores in Mooresville improved in 'meaningful' ways compared with neighboring districts: the equivalent of about 3.2 extra months of math learning.”
 
Data Privacy 
Chief Privacy Officers: The Unicorns of K-12 Education 
EdSurge, February 25, 2019, Emily Tate
It is rare for K-12 school districts to hire a person specifically dedicated to data privacy. A recent report from the Center for Democracy and Technology not only advocated the need for a Chief Privacy Officer, but also includes potential job descriptions for districts to use during the hiring process. The report indicates that most districts are not hiring Chief Privacy Officers because of funding, but that the lack of an officer should not necessarily ring warning bells regarding privacy efforts.
 
Edtech’s Blurred Lines Between Security, Surveillance and Privacy 
EdSurge, March 5, 2019, Tony Wan
How schools should protect students' safety and their data was one topic of a panel discussion during SXSW EDU. Technology such as facial recognition software has been piloted in some schools in the US. Ideally this kind of technology improves student’s physical safety, but it has highlighted several concerns related to student’s data privacy, particularly how that data is stored and used in the future.
 
Predictive Analytics
3 Key Strategies for Schools, Districts Considering Predictive Analytics 
Education Dive, April 1, 2019, Roger Riddell
Experts advise starting with small, specific goals instead of trying to analyze too many things at once. Embedding achievement into professional development is a good first foray into analytics. Experts also advise keeping analytic data in context and refraining from making any punitive interventions that come from data.
 
Bandwidth 
Hundreds of 2018 E-Rate Applications Still in Limbo 
EdWeek, February 20, 2019, Benjamin Harold
Although the FCC overhauled the e-rate system five years ago, school systems are still waiting for funding answers. The overhaul was “supposed to ensure that applicants who submitted funding requests in the spring would know by September 1 of the same year whether they were receiving the requested dollars.” Five years later, the application system is still time-consuming.
 
Can Tapping into Unused Broadband Spectrum Boost K-12 Connectivity? 
EdWeek, February 26, 2019, Michelle Goldchain
The FCC is considering a variety of ideas that could change how spectrum licenses are assigned. “The proposal also seeks to free up the Educational Broadband Service's 2.5 GHz frequency band for commercial broadband services in rural areas. This frequency band, the largest band of contiguous spectrum below 3 GHz, is meant to serve primarily an educational purpose.” Many of the licenses currently assigned are to large commercial operations that may or may not be geared toward education. The new proposal seeks to offer more transparency in this aspect.
 
Emerging Technologies 
Why K–12 Districts Should Use HCI to Improve Their Data Centers 
EdTech Magazine, January 31, 2019, Eli Zimmerman
HCI, or hyperconverged infrastructures, may be the answer for many schools as technology resources and needs continue to grow. “Traditional data centers are made up of siloed servers and storage arrays, separating the data computing, storage and networking processes. Hyperconverged infrastructure unites these systems through a combination of hardware and software solutions.” According to a white paper by CDW, hyperconverged infrastructures can provide increased flexibility, speedy deployment, easier protection, mobile workload, high availability, efficient data storage and better cost management for K-12 and higher ed institutions.
 
How Will Blockchain Transform Higher Ed? Start with Credentials
eCampus News, March 29, 2019, Dennis Pierce
Blockchain is a technology often used with cryptocurrencies to maintain financial records. A small, but growing number of higher ed institutions are using blockchain to allow student to ‘carry’ their official school records, such as diplomas and transcripts, with them. When other institutions or employers need to verify documentation, the process can be long and arduous, requiring the school or employer to contact the original institutions. Blockchain credentialing essentially releases the original institution from being the middleman.
 
New Learning Models 
Survey: Instructional Designers Drive Better Student Outcomes
Campus Technology, March 26, 2019, Dian Schaffhauser
According to a survey from Quality Matters and Edventures Research, students have better outcomes when faculty members work with instructional designers. “Across all types of institutions, the median number of instructional designers employed was four. Community colleges reported a median of one person in this role; regional four-year private schools had a median of four; and regional four-year publics had a median of five.” The "Changing Landscape of Online Education " (CHLOE 3) report indicated that insufficient resources were one of the top reasons why instructional design report was so limited despite its benefits.
 
Student Digital Literacy 
Digital Literacy Programs Prepare Students for a Tech-Enabled Future  
EdTech Magazine, April 14, 2019, Jennifer Brown
Students ages 8-18 are exposed to more screen time than ever before, particularly in the classroom. Because of this, teaching students to be good digital citizens is just as important as teaching them digital literacy skills. Project B3 is a non-profit organization that helps schools train students in digital citizenship and develops student mentors to assist with their schools’ needs.
 
Technology Security 
K-12 Cyber Strikes Cost Millions Last Year
THE Journal, February 10, 2019, Dian Schaffhauser
Cyberattacks in the K-12 sector cost taxpayers millions of dollars in the forms of financial theft, stolen identities, and altered records. The four most frequent forms of cyberattacks in 2018 were:

• “Disclosure of data by staff members, both current and former, almost always owing to human error;
• Disclosure of data held by vendors or outside organizations working with the district;
• Access to data by students themselves, whether out of curiosity or because they wanted to modify school records, such as grades, attendance records or financial account balances; or
• Access to data by 'unknown external actors,' most often for malicious purposes.”

School System Hack Highlights Need for Cybersecurity Training in K-12
Education Dive, March 18, 2019, Shawna De La Rosa
A school data security breach in Michigan highlights the vulnerability of school records. The target of the cyberattack, thought to be carried out by student hackers, was student grades and attendance records. “Among the most vulnerable data: birth dates; addresses; academic progress; behavioral, disciplinary and medical information; web browsing history; students’ geolocations and classroom activities.” Although school systems are making gains in data privacy, students must also be taught to safeguard their own information.
  
Digital Accessibility 
Helping Institutions Reach Accessibility Goals
Inside Higher Ed, February 20, 2019, Mark Leiberman
A new set of quality guidelines introduced by the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials, an arm of the Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization the Center for Applied Special Technology, provide a comprehensive guide on institutions looking to formalize their accessibility policies. The following seven quality indicators also include a set of components for institutions to follow.

• The institution has a coordinated system for offering students with disabilities tools that meet their needs.
• Students who require special support receive it “in a timely manner.”
• Written guidelines clearly outline procedures students can follow to receive support.
• Materials for students with disabilities come from a variety of sources and methods - “e.g., coaching, presentations, webinars, briefs, book studies.”
• A “systematic data collection process” monitors the institution’s commitment to its accessibility goals.
• Data collected from the above process informs subsequent decision making about improvements to accessibility offerings.
• Accessibility efforts are supported by “sufficient fiscal, human and infrastructure resources.”

Policy 
What the World Can Teach the US About Education Technology
EdSurge, March 24, 2019, Wade Tyler Millword
The Omidyar Network report on Scaling Access & Impact: Realizing the Power of EdTech, summarizes some previous insights into accessing technology in education, but the report also offers some lessons that can be learned in the US. For example, although Chile is a much smaller country than the US, “the report praises the South American republic for an online platform managed by the central government to help schools choose and buy ed tech products and services from approved suppliers. This in turn helped the Chilean ed tech ecosystem by helping ed tech companies scale and subsequently invest in smaller markets.”