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An Archive of Former Office of Education Technology (OET) Resources

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On March 20, 2025, the president of the United States signed an executive order to shutter the U.S. Department of Education. As part of this effort, the Office of Education Technology (OET) responsible for developing national education technology plans and resources was eliminated along with its resources.

OET provided federal guidance on emerging technologies via resources such as the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan, toolkits for educators on using artificial intelligence, and data gathered from OET convenings and listening sessions. These resources provide states and districts with evidence-based edtech guidance, particularly as they navigate emerging technology and concerns such as student data privacy in artificial intelligence.

Although guidance and resources from the former OET office will need to be updated in time, we have made the resources available below.

National Educational Technology Plans
  • The nation’s first educational technology plan was released in 1996, two years after the establishment of the OET. The plan urges students to be technologically literate by early in the 21st century.
  • The nation's second educational technology plan was released in 2000. This plan outlines the progress that has been made since 1996, where opportunities for further progress exist, and what challenges persist.
  • As required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the third National Education Technology Plan (NETP) was released in 2004. This plan builds on the plan of 1996 and 2000 to provide a vision and seven major action recommendations for teachers and students interacting with technology, such as interactive software and multimedia tools.
  • The fifth update of the NETP was released in 2010. This plan outlines the application of advanced technologies in our education system and the adoption of effective technology practices. Goals address one of five components of technology in education: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity.
  • The sixth update of the NETP was released in 2016. The plan includes recommendations, examples of technology transformations, recent progress in the education technology landscape, and challenges and goals for the years ahead.
  • In 2017, NETP was updated with significant changes in the educational technology landscape—namely, broadband access, types and cost of technology in schools, and a greater emphasis on data security and digital citizenship. The plan calls for a yearly, smaller scale submission of NETP’s rather than the prior five-year interval due to the rapid pace of technological change.
  • The NETP 2024 update focuses on three central digital divides: the digital use divide, the digital design divide, and the digital access divide. The plan details recommendations for closing these digital divides, frameworks to employ, and an overview of federal privacy laws—among other focuses.
Artificial Intelligence
  • The Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning report addresses the need for sharing knowledge and developing policies related to AI in education technology. The report gives an overview of AI, provides examples of learning and teaching with AI, and provides some recommendations on the implementation, designing, and selection of AI tools for education.
  • The Empowering Education Leaders toolkit discusses how to mitigate risk by safeguarding student privacy and security, build a strategy for AI integration at the instructional core, and maximize opportunity for guiding the effective use and evaluation of AI. The toolkit aims to guide AI implementation by helping teachers understand AI’s risks, explain how to plan AI use, and provide support and guidance in the classroom.
  • The Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence report provides five key recommendations for developers as they build artificial intelligence for educational use. These recommendation areas are grouped into the categories of designing for teaching and learning, providing evidence for rationale and impact, advancing equity and protecting civil rights, ensuring safety and security, and promoting transparency and earning trust.
  • The Navigating Artificial Intelligence in Postsecondary Education brief focuses on the use of AI in postsecondary education, specifically with respect to admissions, enrollment, academic advising, and learning environments. Key recommendations include the following: establishing transparent policies, expanding infrastructure to support innovative AI instruction, test and evaluate AI-driven tools, seek collaborative partners for AI design, and review program offerings in light of the growing impact of AI on future jobs.
Broadband
  • The Keeping Students Connected and Learning brief provides examples of school district approaches to building off-campus wireless networks. Highlighted examples aim to provide sustainable, long-term solutions for providing access to high quality education and connectivity. Deploying off-campus wireless networks aims to close the digital divide and create partnerships, coalitions, and federal and state grant opportunities that will benefit all learners.
  • The "Home Access" playbook outlines seven strategies that state leaders are taking to address device and internet access for students. The five steps include: finding or forming a broadband coalition, collecting data on broadband quality, identifying the needs of students, assisting districts with broadband optionality, and leveraging bulk purchasing to optimize use of funds.
  • Through a series of listening sessions hosted through OET’s Digital Equity Education Roundtable Initiative, community leaders and members contributed to this guidance resource on advancing digital equity for all to inform decision-making around digital access. Some key steps include the following: developing public trust through partnerships, learning from those most impacted by lack of access, co-develop goals and strategies around access with communities, raise public awareness for low- or no-cost broadband programs, and provide digital literacy training and professional learning opportunities.
Digital Health, Safety, and Citizenship
  • The Launching a Digital Literacy Accelerator report examines the Digital Literacy Accelerator project to help agencies understand how they may support edtech or digital literacy accelerators. The Digital Literacy Accelerator project worked to recruit instructional designers and edtech developers to create and pilot edtech initiatives focused on digital literacy.
  • The pledge template on improving the lives of students with disabilities was created by the Office of Education Technology and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The pledge has five main dimensions including the following: improving data interoperability, developing a relevant data infrastructure, piloting the infrastructure, improving data access, and strengthening student data privacy and security.
  • The playbook for student personal device policies aims to inform cell phone use policy by providing a collaborative approach to implement a plan for a research-based policy. The playbook can help local leaders understand when students can have access to phones, phone storage, emergency circumstances, consequences for policy breaches, staff training, and policy enforcement.
  • The LGBTQI+ students outline details the ways in which students who identify as LGBTQI+ may require special considerations in areas such as responsible use of school-provided digital access, anti-bullying policies, and resources for building healthy online habits. School leaders are asked to consider and address ten questions that can help establish school policies and cultures that are supportive of all students.
  • The students with disabilities outline details the ways in which students with disabilities may require special considerations in areas such as responsible use of school-provided digital access, anti-bullying policies, and resources for building healthy online habits. School leaders are asked to consider and address ten questions that can help establish school policies and cultures that are supportive of all students.
  • The students of color outline details the ways in which students of color may require special considerations in areas such as responsible use of school-provided digital access, anti-bullying policies, and resources for building healthy online habits. School leaders are asked to consider and address ten questions that can help establish school policies and cultures that are supportive of all students.
Digital Infrastructure
  • The Building Technology Infrastructure for Learning guide provides actionable information intended to help education leaders navigate decisions required to deliver broadband connectivity. It was initially published in 2014 and updated in 2017 to reflect changes in the school broadband connectivity landscape.
  • The Privacy Enhancing, Interoperable, and Useful brief outlines the key considerations facing educational leaders as they work to build and sustain core digital infrastructure for learning. It offers recommendations that build on the 2017 update to the Building Technology Infrastructure for Learning.
  • The Adequate and Future Proof brief outlines the key considerations facing educational leaders as they work to build and sustain core digital infrastructure for learning. It offers recommendations that build on the 2017 update to the Building Technology Infrastructure for Learning.
  • The Defensible & Resilient brief outlines the key considerations facing educational leaders as they work to build and sustain core digital infrastructure for learning. It offers recommendations that build on the 2017 update to the Building Technology Infrastructure for Learning.
Implementation Resources
  • This is tier one of a four tier approach to measuring practice impact to guide school implementation of educational technology use in schools. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) encourages state and local educational agencies to prioritize evidence-based interventions, strategies, and approaches. Under ESEA, there are four tiers of evidence: (1) Strong Evidence, (2) Moderate Evidence, (3) Promising Evidence, and (4) Demonstrating a Rationale.
  • This is tier two of a four tier approach to measuring practice impact to guide school implementation of educational technology use in schools. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) encourages state and local educational agencies to prioritize evidence-based interventions, strategies, and approaches. Under ESEA, there are four tiers of evidence: (1) Strong Evidence, (2) Moderate Evidence, (3) Promising Evidence, and (4) Demonstrating a Rationale.
  • This is tier three of a four tier approach to measuring practice impact to guide school implementation of educational technology use in schools. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) encourages state and local educational agencies to prioritize evidence-based interventions, strategies, and approaches. Under ESEA, there are four tiers of evidence: (1) Strong Evidence, (2) Moderate Evidence, (3) Promising Evidence, and (4) Demonstrating a Rationale.
  • This is tier four of a four tier approach to measuring practice impact to guide school implementation of educational technology use in schools. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) encourages state and local educational agencies to prioritize evidence-based interventions, strategies, and approaches. Under ESEA, there are four tiers of evidence: (1) Strong Evidence, (2) Moderate Evidence, (3) Promising Evidence, and (4) Demonstrating a Rationale.
  • The "myths and facts surrounding assistive technology devices and services" document is designed to increase understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA’s) assistive technology requirements, dispel common misconceptions regarding assistive technology, and provide examples of the use of assistive technology devices and services for children with disabilities.
  • The document, Investments and Reach of the U.S. Department of Education Summary, provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Education. The document outlines how many students the department supports, the role of the Department’s Office of Civil Rights, the investments and funding it may provide, and the institutions the department serves.
  • The document, Cybersecurity for K-12 Schools and School Districts: Developing a Cyber Annex, provides a brief overview of the necessity of readiness and emergency management for schools in the wake of cybersecurity threats for K-12 schools and school districts. The article provides a six step plan to guide the development of a cyber annex for a school district.
  • The digital equity education roundtables (DEER) document provides an overview of the DEER, which aims to host a series of national conversations on digital equity, publish a resource for state leaders, and spur community action and commitment.
  • The K-12 resources for Afghan evacuees letter provides information about the U.S. Department of Education’s funds and resources available to support Afghan children and families who may have protected U.S. troops, supported the U.S. diplomatic community, and served the U.S. community. This letter outlines federal funding opportunities that may exist to support newcomers, local educational agency obligations, and other services that may be federally entitled.
  • The School Leader Digital Learning guide acts as a resource to help school leaders consider, plan, fund, implement, maintain, and adapt learning programs that meet the needs of students and teachers. It outlines digital learning principles and practices that empower students and teachers, key considerations before implementation, and some questions and resources to aid with planning for digital learning.
  • The Teacher Digital Learning guide provides resources and recommendations to support digital learning implementation for teachers. The guide aims to outline four key goals in EdTech use: access, digital citizenship and safety, and privacy and security; personalized learning for students; collaboration with parents and families; and teacher professional learning and well-being.
  • The Parent and Family Digital Learning guide helps parents or caregivers understand important approaches for using technology in a way that focuses on the needs of children. It provides resources for parents and caregivers to help with student work, resources for children’s teachers, and resources for school leaders to support digital learning.
  • The article Every Day Counts: Driving Student Attendance through Strong Use of Data outlines the role of student data in tackling the problem of chronic absenteeism. Using the cases of Indiana and Rhode Island, the article explains how multilayer efforts to make education data more standardized and interoperable can help increase student attendance.
  • The article, How Schools Can Save Themselves (and Families) Time and Effort Through More Effective Technology Use, provides recommendations based on listening sessions with parents and school leaders to understand digital use and access disparities within schools. There are three main challenges that are emphasized: a lack of interoperability between platforms, varying levels of digital literacy for parents and caregivers, and limited connectivity to access school-based digital tools or services.
  • The 2023 "dear colleague" letter on federal funding technology provides information to state, district, and eligible partnership grantees on areas for maximizing investment in education technology. This letter provides an overview and examples of federal funds that are related to technology-based learning strategies and example questions to support the selection of these strategies.

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Kéah Sharma
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Kéah Sharma

Program Associate, Teaching, Learning & Technology

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An Archive of Former Office of Education Technology (OET) Resources

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