Dive Brief:

• "Funding Doctor" Paula Love writes in District Administration that the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers opportunities for schools and districts to use block funding for digital initiatives.
• One survey, Love writes, says that 50% of school curriculum directors "anticipate a significant conversion from print to digital materials" in the next few years. 
• Taking advantage of flexibility in ESSA is key, Love says, but tech programs need to be prioritized by schools so that available funding isn't spent in other areas. 

Dive Insight:

According to Love, the funding available within ESSA will have a much broader reach than efforts by philanthropic nonprofits like the Gates Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and the Blended and Online Learning Foundation. This accessibility, she says, is key to digital equity in the classroom.

Up to 60% of one $1.65 billion ESSA block grant, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant, can be used by schools for tech, in addition to ESSA's Education Innovation & Research grant. But districts should note that it might be harder to utilize the money than it sounds.

Since the funding is a block, tech supporters will have to advocate in their districts to make sure the money is divvied up in a way that supports e-learning. 

For specific guidelines around conceiving and implementing digital transitions, Love points districts to recommendations from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA).