Connecticut State Department of Education

Leveraging Technology to Accelerate Student Learning

Accelerate CT logo

The CSDE is committed to supporting the ongoing professional learning of Connecticut’s educators so they can use technology more effectively to accelerate learning for all students. To close the “homework gap”, Connecticut will continue its connectivity supports for 2021-22. The CSDE is working closely with Connecticut’s Commission for Educational Technology to design and implement these efforts. Check out the opportunities below. This page will be updated periodically as more options are added.


ISTE District Packages 2022 – FREE to Connecticut Educators

ISTE logo

The CSDE and the Commission for Educational Technology are collaborating with ISTE (the International Society for Technology in Education) to provide public school districts in Connecticut access to three ISTE professional learning packages at no cost. An optional librarian package is available. Frequently asked questions are also included.  

In 2021, the ISTE Summer Learning Academy was offered and utilized by over 700 educators across Connecticut.

Open Education Resources (GoOpenConnecticut)

Go Open CT logo

GoOpen CT “Open Education Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials that are either (a) in the public domain or (b) licensed in a manner that provides everyone with free and perpetual permission to Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, Redistribute.” (Adapted from Creative Commons Definition). Check out Connecticut’s OER site. See the Open Education Resources (ct.gov) site at CET for background information.  

Technology Planning Mastermind Group

The CSDE, in partnership with DELL and Advanced Learning Partnerships (ALP), is offering a series of Technology Planning Mastermind Group sessions. A Mastermind group is any group of people who come together to share and solve problems in a supportive environment. The group will meet eight (8) times for 60 minutes each between September 24 and November 19. The group(s) will be facilitated by experts in education and change management. Please visit Technology Planning Mastermind Group for more information. Individuals leading or coordinating technology initiatives in districts and schools can register using this form.

Connectivity Supports for 2021-22

The following connectivity supports are available for 2021-22:

  • Existing cable connections will be covered until June 30, 2022 with all five cable providers (i.e., Altice, Atlantic, Charter, Comcast, and Cox). 
  • Kajeet hotspot connections for a subset of devices showing strong usage will be renewed for another year. 
  • The federal Emergency Connectivity Fund is available to schools and libraries and operates in a manner similar to E-rate. The fund will reimburse reasonable costs of eligible equipment such as Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, devices that combine a modem and router, connected devices, and eligible broadband connections. The ECF application filing window opens on June 29, 2021 and closes on August 13, 2021. 
  • The federal Emergency Broadband Benefit provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households. Up to a $50/month discount ($75/mo for households on tribal lands) is available on broadband service and associated equipment rentals. A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer is also available through a participating provider.