Cybersecurity, AI, and Broadband Access Top State Edtech Priorities in Third Annual Report from Whiteboard Advisors and SETDA

The third-annual SETDA State EdTech Trends Report was released on September 11. Chris Reykdal, Washington’s State Superintendent of public instruction penned the foreword for the report, which spotlights work taking place in Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Virginia, and Washington State. The report also identified key trends coming out of SETDA’s annual survey of state leaders including edtech directors, chief information officers and state superintendents of education.

Key findings

Cybersecurity tops the priority list once again: 24% of respondents reported that cybersecurity is a top priority in their state, though the percentage decreased slightly compared to last year’s survey.
AI surges in importance: Artificial intelligence (AI) jumped up the priority chart this year with state leaders identifying AI as the second biggest priority behind cybersecurity as requests for AI guidance and policy from district administrators and educators continued to increase. 92% of respondents reported increased interest in guidance compared to 54% in 2023 with approximately half of the respondents indicating that their state has prepared AI guidance over the past year.
Funding and sustainability are growing concerns: Only 27% of state respondents indicated that they have plans to sustain funding for projects supported by ESSER/ARP funds, showing uncertainty regarding the long-term sustainability of initiatives.
Broadband remains a focus of state activity: 85% of respondents took steps last year to improve home broadband and device access for students with 71% of respondents continuing prior efforts and 14% launching new efforts during the 2023-24 school year..

Why it matters: Conducted in May and June 2024, the survey and report lands at a critical period for education leaders as they address edtech issues both old (cybersecurity and broadband access) and new (AI).

Coming on the heels of the release of the Department of Education’s National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), the survey and report also shine a light on state efforts to implement NETP’s recommendations.

What’s next: SETDA and Whiteboard Advisors will prepare for the fourth-annual survey in Spring 2025. “I would expect cell phone bans will feature prominently in next year’s report,” notes Evo Popoff. “This year’s survey was released before the wave of cell phone ban announcements, but it’s a topic that is definitely now top of mind for state leaders.”