Key Educational Groups Endorse Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard's Legislation to Improve Student Academic Achievement through Technology
ATTAIN Act Proposes Needed Improvements in No Child Left Behind Act
Washington,
May 23, 2007 -
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard’s legislation, the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act, received key endorsements from major educational organizations this week.
“I am extremely pleased that the educational community is embracing the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), who serves on the Appropriations Education Subcommittee which has funding jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Education and federal education programs. “The educational community is keenly aware that when schools are properly equipped to meet the technology needs of students and when they have properly trained teachers, students are engaged, eager to learn, and ultimately better prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”
The congresswoman’s legislation (HR 2449), introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today, provides federal funding to help schools that serve disadvantaged and low-income students purchase computers, software and other technology. The measure ensures adequate teacher training in the use of technology to teach students and puts in place standards to ensure all students are technologically literate by the 8th grade. The bill also requires that states provide guidance to districts on how to ensure that schools have access to the most up-to-date computers and software. Finally, the ATTAIN Act calls for research initiatives to determine the effectiveness of the new technology program at the state and national levels.
Joining Congresswoman Roybal-Allard as original cosponsors of the ATTAIN Act are: Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Competitiveness, and Lifelong Learning; Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), and Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL). Congresswoman Roybal-Allard and the bill’s cosponsors are advocating for the incorporation of the ATTAIN Act into the comprehensive No Child Left Behind Act which is expected to be reauthorized by the U.S. House of Representatives in the near future.
“One of the most effective ways we can sharpen America’s competitive edge is by investing in technology in the classroom,” Congressman Rubén Hinojosa said. “This bill will further the technological prowess of our nation’s students and will ultimately increase our economic prosperity and capacity for innovation.”
Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) said, “The use of education technology is critical to ensuring that students gain the skills and knowledge they will need to compete in the 21st Century economy. The ATTAIN Act would advance this important effort by integrating technology instruction into the general curriculum, as well as ensuring teachers receive proper professional development.”
Just last week, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard testified before her colleagues on the Committee on Education and Labor about the importance of technology in the classroom, and advocated for including her legislation in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. The congresswoman told the panel: "Obtaining critical technological skills is of greatest concern to low-income minority students who are falling further behind their higher-income peers in terms of 21st Century college and workplace skills. An effective federal program that provides access to technology for low-income and minority students will help to close this gap."
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Organizations Endorsing the ATTAIN Act
National Education Association (NEA); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); National Council of La Raza (NCLR); National School Boards Association (NSBA); State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA); International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE); Consortium for School Networking(CoSN); American Association of School Administrators (AASA); Software Information Industry Association (SIIA); and National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition.
Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, said: "The ATTAIN Act will help ensure that even the most under-resourced schools, including those where children who are learning English are concentrated, have the ability to prepare all students to meet the goals of NCLB and the needs of the 21st Century economy."
Anne Bryant, Executive Director of the National School Boards Association, said: "In today's global economy, we must do all we can to modernize our nation's teaching and learning and provide students with the most up-to-date skills that they will need to be successful in the 21st century workplace. The Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act helps move us closer to achieving this goal by ensuring that we have the most technology-proficient educators and well-equipped classrooms to enhance student achievement."
Mary Ann Wolf, Executive Director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association, said: “For many years, SETDA’s members have provided us with tangible examples of educational technology implementations that yield substantial academic gains; now, we will have the opportunity to bring many of them to scale. This legislation’s focus on research-based, systemic reform programs that maximizes the benefits of technology is an important opportunity to transform our nation’s schools.”
Don Knezek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education: “We are ecstatic that this well-crafted refinement of EETT is beginning to move. Teachers are our nation’s most valuable resources and absolutely crucial to whether education technology implementations succeed. The ATTAIN Act’s focus on technology professional development will help ensure that our investments in school hardware, software and infrastructure are leveraged for the benefit of our nation’s students.”
Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking, stated: “The introduction of the ATTAIN Act demonstrates that Representatives Roybal-Allard, Hinojosa, Biggert and Kind understand the important role that education technology plays in meeting NCLB’s goals and equipping our students with the skills necessary to succeed in the modern workforce. We hope that the House will follow their lead and move expeditiously to enact this bill, thereby giving a big shot in the arm to education technologists, students and companies across the country.”
Ken Wasch, President of the Software & Information Industry Association, said: “We do not want our students to fall behind in this era of innovation and global competition. Technology is vital for providing students with a learning environment that prepares them for the world beyond the classroom. The ATTAIN Act will ensure our educational system adopts modern methods to remain effective in the digital, information economy. We thank Representatives Roybal-Allard, Hinojosa, Biggert and Kind for their leadership on this important legislation.”
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