| Abstract: |
Over the past two decades, state and local leaders have made historic progress in closing the digital access divide, the gap in students' access to devices, broadband, and high-quality digital resources. Access alone, however, has not delivered on the full promise of technology in education. In many schools, infrastructure gains have not translated into meaningful improvements in teaching and learning. This persistent digital use divide, the gap between students who use technology passively and those who use it to transform their learning, remains a defining challenge. The key to bridging access and use lies in educators having the support and resources to design instruction that leverages technology for deeper learning. Closing this gap requires collective action across roles and departments, with professional learning (PL) as a critical lever. State and local leaders--including educational technology (edtech) directors, curriculum leaders, and PL coordinators--must work together to define what high-quality, technology-integrated instruction looks like and align resources and strategies to make it a reality. Title II, Part A (Title II-A) of the Every Student Succeeds Act, braided with other state and federal grants, offers a uniquely flexible opportunity to build educator capacity through PL, leadership development, and evaluation systems that anchor technology integration in strong instructional practice. The strategy guide draws on national research from 24 states and 76 local education agencies to understand how state and local systems are currently using Title II-A, identify where opportunities are being missed, and highlight promising practices that can be scaled. It is designed to help leaders shift from compliance-driven spending toward coherence-driven investment, ensuring that every dollar spent--whether from Title II-A or other sources--strengthens educator capacity to deliver equitable, powerful learning for every student. The report reveals persistent gaps in how professional learning supports technology integration and offers frameworks for aligning funding, policy, and practice. |