MCC Letters

• MCC Letter to Members of U.S. House and Senate Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittees (March 6, 2006) "....encourage the...Subcommittee to hold a hearing and call witnesses aimed at highlighting federal investment in the teaching and learning technologies so critical to meeting our education and workforce needs in this age of global competition...."
   
• MCC Letter to Members of U.S. House and Senate Budget Committees (March 3, 2006) "...urge your support for a Fiscal Year 2007 budget that is sufficient to meet our education and workforce needs in this age of global competition, as well as adequately invests in learning technologies as a core component of that effort.  In particular, we express our strong support for an FY07 budget that provides funding at the highest level possible for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program (Title II-D of the No Child Left Behind Act)..."
   
• Both letters were signed by: Apple, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Cable in the Classroom, Consortium for School Networking, Council of Chief State School Officers, Dell, Discovery Communications, Federation of American Scientists, Information Technology Association of America, Intel, International Society for Technology in Education, National Association of Independent Schools, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Education Association, National School Boards Association, Software & Information Industry Association, State Educational Technology Directors Association, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Mayors

Other Resources

    EETT 2006 National Trends Report (March, 2006) Prepared by the National Association of State Directors of Educational Technology, this report provides national, state and local date on the use and impact of EETT funds. 

    Focusing on Success: Examples of How the Universal Service Fund is Helping Schools and Libraries around the Country (March, 2006) As part of its expanded outreach initiative, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC),        which administers the E-Rate program for the Federal Communications Commission, assembled this report sharing  findings from site visits to schools and libraries in every state.  “Initial applicant feedback indicates that 93% of applicants noted that USF support is of great benefit to their school or library . . . Some school officials also have expressed that without USF support, their schools would not be able to meet the federal requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.”

    EETT One-pager (March, 2006) Prepared by MCC Members CoSN, ISTE and SIIA for distribution to Congressional offices during their Advocacy Day, this document provides background and talking points on the EETT program. 

    E-Rate One-pager (March, 2006) Prepared by MCC Members CoSN, ISTE and SIIA for distribution to Congressional offices during their Advocacy Day, this document provides background and talking points on the E-Rate program.

    NCLB & Competitiveness One-pager (March, 2006) Prepared by MCC Members CoSN, ISTE and SIIA for distribution to Congressional offices during their Advocacy Day, this document provides background and talking points on the role of educational technology in addressing NCLB, STEM Education and the nation’s competitiveness. [POST at MCC}

    The Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) has three case study reports (conducted and published in 2003, 2000, 1999) addressing the critical needs of E-rate funds in public/private schools and public libraries in rural, suburban and urban communities. The three reports that EdLiNC commissioned are results from extensive surveys of E-Rate participants. The reports look behind the numbers to tell the stories of the children and the communities that have been enriched and empowered by the E-Rate.

The National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training (NCTET) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes and supports the effective use of technology to improve education and training in America by acting as a convener, catalyst and resource for relevant and timely information. NCTET's participants include education associations, other non-profit organizations, corporations, and organizations and individuals with an interest in education technology. Based in Washington, DC, NCTET organizes policy briefings, conducts seminars, produces background papers, recognizes exemplary technology leadership, creates networking opportunities and hosts celebratory events.

    Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students: 2002-03 (NCES, U.S. Department of Education) --- The first federal study of the issue reveals 36 percent of public school districts had students enrolled in classes over the Internet or through video conferencing. Large districts had more students taking distance education courses when compared with medium and small districts, and the classes were most popular in rural areas and in the Southeast and Central regions. Most students were at the high school level, but some middle and even elementary school students were enrolled in the courses. About one-quarter of enrollments were in social studies/social sciences, followed by English/language arts (19 percent), mathematics (15 percent), and natural/physical science and foreign languages (12 percent). Distance courses include online, audio, or video classes, live or recorded. Eighty percent of districts say they used distance education because it allows them to provide courses that students would not normally get at their schools. Seventy-two percent of districts that have students enrolled in distance education plan to expand their courses.