Digital Promise
Digital Promise, also known as the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies, is a non-profit organization originated by the U.S. Congress as part of the 2008 re-authorization of the Higher Education Act. Its mission is to help bridge the digital divide in education, especially in areas of new media and Internet use.
History
More than a decade ago, the Carnegie Corporation of New York joined with the Century Foundation to launch the Digital Promise Project, an initiative to recommend policies that could harness breakthrough technologies to advance the public good.
At the request of Congress, the Digital Promise Project, in partnership with the Federation of American Scientists, developed a road map for transforming teaching and learning with technology. This road map was the basis for Section 802 of the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act, authorizing the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies, also known as Digital Promise.
Digital Promise is an independent, bipartisan nonprofit, signed into law by President George W. Bush and launched in September 2011 by President Barack Obama. Initial board members were appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, whose department provided start-up funds and support.
Mission
Digital Promise is an independent, bipartisan nonprofit authorized by Congress "to support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capacity of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy."
League of Innovative Schools
Despite islands of innovation across the country, America's public education system is largely resistant to the kinds of technological advances that have revolutionized other parts of 21st-century life. Meanwhile, it is increasingly difficult for school district leaders to understand how to make the most of cutting-edge digital tools and innovative approaches.
To overcome these challenges, Digital Promise launched the League of Innovative Schools, a national coalition of school district superintendents dedicated to harnessing technological innovation to drive better results to students. The League represents a wide array of school districts - large and small, urban and rural, low-income and middle-class. Overall, it consists of 32 districts and education agencies, serving 2.5 million students in 21 states.[1]
Upon joining the League, members sign a charter committing to share what's working and what's not working when it comes to digital innovation, making the League a professional development resource for innovative superintendents. Beyond professional development, the League offers educators the opportunity to collaborate with both the entrepreneurs who are building new tools, and the researchers who are evaluating them.
Funding
Digital Promise was launched with public and private funding from sources including the U.S. Department of Education, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and its range of corporate partners. [2]
References
- ↑ "2012 Annual Report". p. 9.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ Brainard, Jeffrey (2008-08-20). "New High-Tech Teaching Center, Pushed by Congress, Lacks Funds". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2008-08-29.