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OCR for page 27
Governments at 2000: Educate America Act, for example,
is designed to lead the way in establishing
“The main reasons the
all levels will drive national education standards and provides
President and the Vice grants to states and districts that imple-
the reinvention of ment reform plans. In addition, the feder-
President are so excited
al government will influence the use of
schools. The local level about information tech- technology in schools through the poli-
is where reform will be im- nology is because they cies it adopts in developing the National
plemented—classroom by class Information Infrastructure.
believe it can fundamentally
room, school by school, commu- Closely related to its policymaking role
change the way we teach
nity by community. Thorough reforms is the federal government’s regulation of
ourselves and the way we
cannot take root without a commitment telecommunications. The federal govern-
at the local level. ment is now considering comprehensive
teach our children.”
The state level is where many reforms legislation that would reformulate telecom-
— JACK GIBBONS, WHITE HOUSE
will originate. Since the mid-1980s the munications regulations dating back to
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND
governors have been leading the school the 1930s. These regulations, together with
TECHNOLOGY POLICY
reform movement, and many of the bold- those imposed by states, ensured universal
est reforms are taking place on a statewide access to telephone service and widespread
level. California is already teaching science public access to other forms of media. The
to many of its middle school students using federal government and states now face
multimedia systems. In Texas, teachers can the much greater challenge of ensuring
get unlimited access to the Internet and access in a telecommunications system char-
to local educational networks through the acterized by fierce competition among
Texas Educational Network. companies and technologies and by con-
The federal government, though it stant change.
provides only 6 percent of the funding The government can have an impor-
for K-12 education, will also play a critical tant influence on information technologies
role. Through programs like the State- through its demonstrations of new capa-
wide Systemic Initiatives supported by the bilities. In making its own vast stores of
National Science Foundation, the federal information available electronically, for
government can catalyze reform at the state example, the government can highlight the
and local level. Also, through its policy- scope of information technologies, help
making functions, the federal government Jack Gibbons
helps set the educational
agenda. The Goals
THE
ROLE OF
28
GOVERNMENT
Roy Romer, Governor
of Colorado, addresses
the convocation
through a satellite
link. Bill Blakemore of
ABC-TV, at the podi-
“Technology is a tool which, if
um, served as the con-
properly applied, can help
vocation’s interlocutor.
transform our educational
system so that our students
can lead the world in math
and science achievement
rather than watching TV.”
—E. BENJAMIN NELSON ,
GOVERNOR OF NEBRASKA
OCR for page 28
T
he federal system of
establish markets for new technologies, and can use new cognitive findings to further
government in the
shape standards that will allow different education.
systems to communicate. Beyond research and development,
United States creates a
The government’s traditional sup- the federal government develops educa-
shared responsibility for
port for research and development tional technologies for its own purposes.
the management of the
will also influence education- The Department of Defense,
al technology. Government- for example, spends hun-
Nation’s schools. Great-
“I have always believed
supported work on advanced dreds of millions of dollars
est responsibility for
that no matter what the
hardware, educational soft- each year developing train-
education is vested at
ware, networks, experimen- ing software and systems for
technology, if we don’t
tal testbeds, demonstration the armed services, much of
the local level. Local leaders
have a basic respect for
projects, and other pioneer- which could be adapted for
of education reform must
learning and some sense
ing endeavors can lead to public education.
ensure that their school sys-
both new kinds of devices Education has tradition-
of why it is important to
and new ways of using those ally been a local concern in
tems adapt to change and
us as a society, we cannot
devices. The federal govern- the United States. But U.S.
demand access to the tech-
accomplish much.”
ment also sponsors much of schools are now being chal-
—NANCY KASSEBAUM , nologies they need for edu-
the research into cognitive lenged by forces that are
processes and how schools global in scope: changes in
U.S. S ENATOR cational reform.
national economies, changes
In recent years leaders of
in worldwide technologies,
government at the state
changes in culture and in
the nature of societies.
level have been a crucible for
The reinvention of schools must occur
educational reform and the
at a local level. But institutions and indi-
early applications of tech-
viduals at all levels must begin working
together to make change happen. The
nology to connect services,
nation cannot wait for the next generation
libraries, universities, and
of hardware, for the software now on the
schools into networks. States
drawing boards, or for the next generation
of teachers. The tools are available. The
will continue to lead in the
time to act is now.
use of technology in schools
just as they do in educa-
“Schools are ready to use
tional reform.
technology, but what they
The federal government
need are resources. They
establishes national policy
need to be freed of regula-
through legislation, regulates
tions. They need to have
telecommunications, supports
incentives. They need to
research and demonstrates
have support to make the
technology useful to edu-
kinds of changes that people
cation, sponsors research on
think are important.”
learning itself and has vast
—LINDA ROBERTS, DEPARTMENT
information holdings impor-
OF E DUCATION
tant in education.
All levels and functions
of government must be
brought together to make
Though the federal gov-
change happen in the
6% Federal ernment provides only
6 percent of the fund-
nation’s schools.
ing for public K-12 edu-
cation, it plays a major
role in precollege edu-
44% Local
cation through its poli-
50% State cymaking, regulatory,
and research and
development activities.
SOURCES FOR FUNDING FOR K-12 EDUCATION
