State educational technology plan

The Commission’s current State Educational Technology Plan reflects research-based best practices, national and international standards, and the expert guidance of thought leaders from across our state who represent a diversity of constituents. The Plan introduces new efforts (evidence-based selection of digital tools for learning) as well as ongoing initiatives (e.g., support for openly licensed learning materials) from the prior (2017 – 2022) Plan. The initiatives listed below also include cross-references to related efforts within the State Educational Technology Plan as well as in other state and national plans. When appropriate, references appear below to the State Digital Equity Plan and the National Educational Technology Plan (“NETP”).

Digital systems and pedagogy can accelerate, scale, and personalize learning at all levels. These initiatives will maximize the potential impact of such systems to benefit students, educators, and families.

See the Commission's pages on Open Education Resources and Personalized Learning for additional resources.

Goal 1.1: Facilitate the adoption of best practices in the design and delivery of online learning opportunities that augment the foundation of in-person learning by expanding student choice and widening access to courses.

Goal 1.2: Highlight existing and promising programs among Connecticut schools that expand learning opportunities while ensuring student safety.

  • Related Initiative
    • State Digital Equity Plan Goal 2

Goal 1.3: Encourage the use of open education resources (OER) as well as low or no-cost commercial materials at all grade levels to reduce financial barriers to high-quality instructional and learning materials.

  • Related Initiative
    • State Ed Tech Plan Initiative 2.3

Goal 1.4: Host the GoOpenCT.org OER repository to allow schools, universities, libraries, and other institutions the ability to co-create and use OER.

  • Related Initiatives
    • State Ed Tech Plan Initiative 2.3
    • State Digital Equity Plan Goal 2

Goal 1.5: Pursue resources to enable pilot or statewide training on the effective use of OER.

Goal 1.6: Encourage use of research-based educational software through the design and implementation of rapid-cycle evaluations.

The Commission is leading the design and development of the State Digital Equity Plan to empower all residents to leverage the potential of technology to improve their lives. The following goals summarize the initiatives included in that plan.

See the Commission's page on Digital Equity for additional resources.

Goal 2.1: Expand access to affordable, high-speed broadband and devices.

Goal 2:2: Identify, promote, and provide investments into digital navigation and other training to support resident learning and support needs.

Goal 2.3: Provide best practices and resources that assist agencies and providers to serve residents online.

Preparing students of all ages to participate fully in the workforce and broader society requires them to possess the competencies to learn and use digital tools effectively and safely. These goals help define and support the development of such skills and mindsets among learners, educators, leaders, and the broader public.

See the Commission's page on Technology Standards for Students, Educators, and Leaders for additional resources.

Goal 3.1: Advance student preparation for higher education and the workforce through championing the adoption of digital literacy skills, including the effective use of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity skills.

Goal 3.2: Advocate that local and state “portrait of the graduate” statements include assurances of student digital literacy.

Goal 3.3: Explore opportunities to expand teacher access to high-quality professional development in the use of digital tools and pedagogies to support personalized learning through in-service professional development as well as pre-service instruction and certification.

Goal 3.4: Assess current K – 12 digital literacy instruction and assessment and explore the creation or adoption of common digital literacy curriculum and micro-credentials (badges).

Increases in technology spending across physical devices and networks as well as software, training, and support have increased and continue to climb in order to support educational institutions and lifelong learning. The following goals expand on previous strategies — including high-speed, education-specific broadband and services via CEN — to address the challenge of ensuring sustainable technology resources.

See the Commission's guidance on K – 12 Technology Sustainability
See the Commission's page on E-rate Maximization for additional resources.

Goal 4.1: Assess technology increases and costs within schools and districts.
  • Related Initiative
    • State Ed Tech Plan Goal 2.1

Goal 4.2: Provide guidance on technology investment best practices and efficiencies, including the use of federal and state programs.

Goal 4.3: Leverage collective input of schools on ed tech effectiveness to explore cooperative purchasing.

The responsible use of data in educational systems holds enormous potential to accelerate and scale learning, especially with the rapid acceleration of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. These goals help provide a balance innovation with personal privacy and security.

See the Commission's pages on Privacy Compliance and Privacy Best Practices for additional resources.

Goal 5.1: Provide continued guidance and best practices for institutions to protect and steward student and other sensitive data and avoid bias through the use of instructional, operational, and decision-support systems. Includes best practices in the transparency of machine learning processes and data sets in operational and decision-support systems.

Goal 5.2: Explore ways to enhance the functionality of the Data Privacy Hub (LearnPlatform) for digital tool selection and research.

  • Related Initiatives

Goal 5.3: Encourage review and potential revisions to Connecticut data privacy legislation based on the Data Privacy Task Force recommendations.