Reimagining the Enhancing Education Through Technology Program for the Modern Era
This memo proposes the modernization of the Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2) Program as part of the overdue Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s (ESEA) reauthorization. With the expiration of several programs that support technology-enabled teaching and learning—such as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund, Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)—and the increasing prevalence of digital tools in educational settings, there is a pressing need for dedicated aid to states and districts. A reimagined E2T2 can address the digital use, design, and access divides identified in the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP).
Challenge and Opportunity
The 2024 NETP, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) flagship educational technology (edtech) policy document, envisions a future where all students use digital tools actively to learn, all educators have support to design those classroom experiences, and all communities can readily access foundational connectivity, devices, and digital content. The original $1 billion E2T2, established under the No Child Left Behind Act, played a critical role in developing and implementing state and local plans that reflected this vision. For example, SETDA’s 2010 report examining all states’ investments found that the top E2T2 priorities were:
- Professional development (top priority in 34 states)
- Increasing achievement and digital literacy (top priority in 6 states)
- Increase access to technology (top priority in 4 states)
However, the program lost funding in 2011 and was excluded from the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Since then, edtech has been subsumed under broader block grants, such as the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program (Title IV-A) and Supporting Effective Instruction Program (Title II-A), resulting in a dilution of focus and resources. Furthermore, the end of the current Administration coincides with several challenges:
- Federal Program Expirations: ED’s ESSER fund, which supported technology-enabled teaching and learning, was fully obligated by September 2024. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) ECF, which provided $7.1 billion to purchase equipment, sunsetted in June 2024. Finally, the FCC’s ACP connected 23 million households to broadband at a discounted rate. Although many ACP recipients used the program to access schoolwork, the FCC exhausted its $14 billion in May 2024. A new program is necessary to sustain the significant gains made through these programs.
- Unprepared for Emerging Technologies: As innovative tools like generative artificial intelligence (AI) make their way into educational environments, there is an increasing need to support states and districts by offering guidance and professional learning. While half of students aged 14-22 report using generative AI, including for schoolwork, 70% of educators have not yet received training on how to use AI effectively and responsibly.
- Urgency for Digital Citizenship: Recent actions by the Surgeon General to recommend warning labels on social media, as well as bans on cell phones in schools approved by several states and local school boards, calls for additional capacity at the state and local levels to support digital citizenship education.
- Educator Attrition: Due to increased pressures faced during the pandemic, educator attrition rates have increased. Although many policy solutions can help counter this issue, research suggests that educators who do not feel supported in their roles are more likely to leave the profession. With the average district now accessing nearly 3,000 different technology tools in a given school year, educators are more likely to feel lost in selecting and deploying the most appropriate options. States and districts require additional capacity to help educators navigate vast quantities of digital tools, thereby bolstering a feeling of professional support.
Plan of Action
ESSA will be nine years old in December 2024, and the legislation included authorization levels for many programs only up until fiscal year 2020. The 119th Congress has an opportunity to examine the legislation and authorize new programs that respond to current challenges.
A reimagined E2T2, authorized at a minimum of $1.8 billion, can be provided to states and districts through the ED’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), which has experience in administering large national programs. A 1.5% national activities set-aside, reserved by OESE and the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (OPEPD), can offer means for evaluating the impact of the program, as well as providing technical assistance through convenings and federal guidance on impactful investment strategies.
Similar to the original E2T2, state education agencies should receive their share of funds via Title I formula upon submission of a long-range statewide edtech plan informed through adequate community input (e.g., see the U.S. Department of Commerce’s guidance on soliciting public comments and engaging community organizations). States should be permitted to reserve a maximum of 5% of funds received to carry out various coordination activities, including the establishment of a dedicated edtech office that reports to the chief state school officer and is responsible for governing program implementation. The remainder of the funds should be subgranted through a mix of formula and competitive grants to local educational agencies and consortia of eligible entities (e.g., districts, nonprofits, higher education institutions, community anchor institutions).
Allowable uses should include activities to close the three digital divides articulated in the 2024 NETP. For example, the reimagined E2T2 can support the current national AI strategy by allowing funds to be invested toward closing the “digital use divide,” providing opportunities for students to build AI literacy skills and use AI tools to examine and solve community problems. Funds could also be used to close the “digital design divide” by providing educators with ongoing professional development and reinforcing their abilities to align instruction with the Universal Design for Learning principles. Finally, funds could be used to close the “digital access divide” by allowing schools to procure accessible technology solutions, support students’ universal broadband access, or establish a state or local cabinet-level edtech director position.
In 2025, federal policymakers have an opportunity to begin critical discussions around the E2T2 modernization by taking specific action steps:
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee can introduce steps to reauthorize ESEA, as well as seek input from educators and education leaders on new program considerations.
- The White House Domestic Policy Council and Office of Management and Budget can advocate for the reimagined E2T2 in the president’s annual budget request.
- The Secretary of Education, alongside ED’s Assistant Secretary for Policy, Evaluation, and Policy Development and Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs, can engage the public and legislators to build support for the reimagined E2T2.
Conclusion
The reimagined E2T2 represents a critical opportunity to address many pressing challenges in K-12 education while preparing students for the future. As we approach the reauthorization of ESEA, as well as consider policy solutions to fully harness the promises of emerging technologies like AI, providing systems with dedicated support for closing the three digital divides can significantly enhance the quality and equity of education across the United States.
This memo was developed in partnership with the Alliance for Learning Innovation, a coalition dedicated to advocating for building a better research and development infrastructure in education for the benefit of all students. Read more education R&D memos developed in partnership with ALI here.
This action-ready policy memo is part of Day One 2025 — our effort to bring forward bold policy ideas, grounded in science and evidence, that can tackle the country’s biggest challenges and bring us closer to the prosperous, equitable and safe future that we all hope for whoever takes office in 2025 and beyond.
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