Closing the Digital Design Divide through State and Local Leadership

Title II-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the sole federal program focused on educator professional learning and growth. Title II-A funds have long been utilized by education leaders for their flexibility, allowing investment in a variety of priority instructional areas. With schools facing growing questions about how to integrate technology, especially emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, effectively and responsibly into student learning experiences, Title II-A can serve as a reliable source of capacity-building dollars. However, recent data from the U.S. Department of Education reveals that only nine states currently prioritize these funds for technology training, while fewer than 40 percent of districts use them to advance professional learning in technology. To tackle this issue, SETDA, ISTE+ASCD, Learning Forward, and FullScale will publish "Closing the Digital Design Divide with Title II-A” in 2025 that will assist education leaders in leveraging Title II-A for edtech capacity building to increase the impact of teaching and learning for all students. This panel session will divide into the guide’s recommendations to identify opportunities for maximizing the impact of this program. Speakers will also explore examples of notable strategies used by states and districts to support educators’ digital skills.