Education Week

A blue-ribbon panel offers a 10-year plan for assessment systems that go beyond accountability.

Even though nearly every school in the country is now connected to the Internet, not all of them have the kind of connections that allow teachers and students to make full use of digital learning tools.

Some ed-tech leaders say the federal program's current policy not to reimburse districts for out-of-school broadband access is a barrier to innovation and better use of digital tools for learning.

The courses take many formats, with some offered entirely online, while others are delivered face-to-face but include online follow-up support.

Putting a computing device in the hands of every student requires a willingness to take risks and an understanding of what has worked in the past.

But education leaders are wrestling with how to put measures in place to allow students to take school-issued digital devices home at the end of each day.

Experts say professional development should put razor-sharp attention on what students need to learn, rather than on how to use specific devices.

Facilities are being designed and re-designed around the belief that classrooms should mirror the workplaces of today and the future.

The teaching approach that combines online and face-to-face instruction is now having an impact on how new buildings are designed and how current ones are redesigned.

Schools are working to incorporate more multimedia into classrooms, upgrade online professional development, and do a better job using data to improve student achievement.