For instance, Digital Wish works with technology manufacturers to negotiate ed-tech discounts for teachers. Current deals include two Trio Stealth 7-inch Android tablets with cases and internet cards for $220; a USB document camera for $79; refurbished Dell laptops and desktops starting at $229; and a $100 matching grant for Elmo document cameras. Users can check out the website’s current deals here.

What’s more, Digital Wish includes free lesson plans, and the organization recently launched a new volunteer matching service that connects teachers with “expert” volunteers by video conference.

Schools must be proactive in securing the funds to sustain ed-tech initiatives.

Involving the community, identifying backup revenue sources, and dedicating time and resources for professional development are the keys to sustaining technology funding and ed-tech initiatives, according to a survey conducted by the nonprofit Digital Wish.

The Digital Wish Study on Sustainability, co-authored by Digital Wish Executive Director Heather Chirtea and School Modernization Initiative (SMI) Program Manager Eric Bird, examines how schools approach the often complicated matter of technology funding.

Digital Wish launched SMI, a one-to-one computing program, in 2009. The initiative involved 28 schools and 1,294 students in grades 4-6, and it gave curriculum and training to 79 teachers. At the end of the program’s first year, school leaders turned to the challenge of sustaining this initiative, and the A.D. Henderson Foundation commissioned Digital Wish to examine how schools could do this successfully.

The foundation also tasked Digital Wish with developing free resources to spread best practices in sustaining ed-tech programs. The study included responses from administrators, IT specialists, media and curriculum coordinators, librarians, and teachers.

The survey results revealed that, when it comes to technology funding, the “most successful schools develop multiple sources of revenue, they trigger strong community engagement, and they prioritize daily support and training for teachers.”

(Next page: A breakdown of how successful ed-tech programs are funded)

Federal education budgets will remain intact—for at least the next two months.

Federal funding for programs such as Title I, Head Start, students with disabilities, and higher-education research will remain intact—for now—after Congress approved an 11^th-hour deal to avoid tumbling off the “fiscal cliff.”

The extraordinary New Year’s Day approval of a compromise bill hands President Barack Obama most of the tax boosts on the rich that he campaigned on. It also prevents House Republicans from facing blame for blocking tax cuts for most American households, though most GOP lawmakers parted ways with Speaker John Boehner and opposed the measure.

Passage also lays the groundwork for future battles between the two sides over federal spending and the national debt, as it puts off mandatory across-the-board cuts to domestic programs for a period of only two months.

Capping a holiday season political spectacle that featured enough high and low notes for a Broadway musical, the GOP-run House voted final approval for the measure by 257-167 late on Jan. 1. That came after the Democratic-led Senate used a wee-hours 89-8 roll call to assent to the bill, belying the partisan brinkmanship that colored much of the path to the final deal.

“A central promise of my campaign for president was to change the tax code that was too skewed towards the wealthy at the expense of working middle-class Americans,” Obama said at the White House before flying to Hawaii to resume his holiday break. “Tonight we’ve done that.”

(Next page: Details of the agreement)

Education grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged individuals, especially children. CNCS is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service-learning as strategies to achieve improved academic outcomes. Grant activities will improve:
• School readiness for economically disadvantaged young children.
• Educational and behavioral outcomes of students in low-achieving elementary, middle, and high schools.
• The preparation for and prospects of success in post-secondary education institutions for economically disadvantaged students.

“I am just so thrilled for what this will mean for our kids,” said Kerri Steelman, the Buffalo Jones Elementary School teacher who nominated the school for the contest. “I’ve talked to other teachers in other districts who say the SPARK program is the best equipment, programming and training they have ever used. The kids stay engaged and enthusiastic because everybody participates. It is incredible to think that it was a nationwide competition for a single $45,000 grand prize and our school won. “

Buffalo Jones Elementary serves approximately 350 students in grades Pre-K-4. The school will now have access to products and services to help educators promote wellness and healthy habits in students to improve their health and overall educational experience. A special event will be held at the school after the winter break to allow pro golfer Annika Sorenstam to present the school with their prize.