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FCC CHAIRMAN GENACHOWSKI AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION DUNCAN HOST EDUCATION 

TECHNOLOGY LEADERS, DISCUSS CONCRETE STEPS TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF 

TRANSITIONING K-12 SCHOOLS TO DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS IN FIVE YEARS 

FCC Chairman Genachowski and Secretary of Education Duncan hosted a discussion with CEOs, senior executives, 
and other leaders from the education technology ecosystem to develop ways the industry and states can meet their 
challenge to move all K-12 schools to interactive digital textbooks in the next five years. Together, the assembled 
CEOs, senior executives, and leaders discussed the challenges of making the transition from paper to digital, and 
developed concrete steps to move the nation to digital textbooks, including a model digital textbooks challenge, a 
blueprint template for states to work with the ecosystem to implement the transition, and the release of FCC guidance 
to make it easier for school districts and libraries to make the transition. The LEAD Commission will develop a 
blueprint for K-12 schools to make the transition to interactive digital textbooks in five years.

THE FCC, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION & CEOS FROM THE DIGITAL EDUCATION 

ECOSYSTEM ANNOUNCE ACTIONS TO MOVE U.S. SCHOOLS TO DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS 

Representatives included senior executives and leaders from Apple, Aruba Networks, Chegg, Discovery Education, 
Idaho Department of Education, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Inkling, Intel, Knewton, Kno, the LEAD Commission, 
McGraw-Hill, News Corp, Pearson, Samsung, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Together, they developed the following actions to 
meet the transition challenge towards digital textbooks:

The FCC evaluated a Project RED study and released new side-by-side cost models of traditional learning 
versus “new” learning, illustrating a savings of $250 per student each year if schools move to digital textbooks:

·
A traditional learning environment, including traditional textbooks, paper, technology and connectivity, costs an 
estimated $3,871 per student per year;
·
Based on a conservative evaluation, a new learning environment today, including digital learning content, devices, 
technology and connectivity, costs an estimated $3,621 per student per year. 
·
Based on a conservative evaluation, a new learning environment in three years, including digital learning content, 
devices, technology and connectivity, costs an estimated $3,811 per student per year.

A push for states to work towards positive outcomes in the transition to digital textbooks:

·
Meeting participants discussed how the digital textbook ecosystem can work together to help states put interactive, 
digital textbooks in schools within five years.
·
The participants discussed ways to work together to develop model policies for states that allow for the 
deployment of digital textbooks.
·
View a state-by-state digital report card here: http://digitallearningnow.com/nations-report-card/

Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission to develop blueprint for K-12 schools to make 
the transition to interactive digital textbooks in five years:

·
Announced in early March, the LEAD Commission will detail the opportunity for using technology as a catalyst to 
transform and improve American education. The LEAD Commission will incorporate input from a cross-section of 
teachers, parents, local government officials, school officials, students and education technology industry leaders 
and expects to release its findings and an action plan in late 2012.
·
At the meeting, the LEAD Commission made a presentation to the assembled leaders on the opportunities of 
digital textbooks and the challenges of making the transition from paper to digital.  

Announced a challenge to develop market-ready, model digital textbook products:

·
Meeting participants discussed the idea of working together to develop a low-cost and high quality bundled 
solutions for interactive digital textbooks consisting of device, content, connectivity, and technical support.
·
Chairman Genachowski and Secretary Duncan challenged the group to develop near market-ready products or 
bundles that are scalable.
·
Any group of companies can present their response to the challenge at the White House in the fall of 2012. 
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THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS

In January 2012, the Chairman and the Secretary jointly unveiled a five-year challenge and the “Digital 
Textbook Playbook,” to help transition American schools to digital textbooks.

·
The Playbook is designed to help K-12 educators implement rich and effective digital learning environments in 
their schools. The Playbook outlines criteria and steps that educators can take to initiate the transition to digital 
textbooks. View the Digital Textbook Playbook here: http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/digital-textbook-playbook
·
The Playbook will help educators tackle the major barriers to the adoption of digital textbooks, including the 
challenge of connectivity, both at school, in the community, and at home; the challenge of device procurement; and 
the challenge of making the transition from paper to digital textbooks.
·
The Playbook is an output from the Digital Textbook Collaborative, an effort by education technology leaders 
across private industry to accelerate the deployment of digital textbooks and improving the quality and penetration 
of digital learning in K-12 education.
·
The Digital Textbook Collaborative was convened by the FCC and the U.S. Department of Education and builds 
on the FCC’s National Broadband Plan and the Department of Education’s National Education Technology Plan.

Leveraging technology can improve the opportunity for educational access, improve student engagement and 
achievement, and improve learning productivity.

·
Technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by up to 80 percent, 
according to the U.S. Department of Education and recent studies by the National Training and Simulation 
Association.
·
Teachers’ believe in the ability of technology to enhance learning; 93 percent believe that interactive whiteboards 
enrich classroom education and 81 percent feel the same about tablets, according to a PBS study.
·
Continuous access to a computing device for every student leads to increased academic achievement and financial 
benefits, especially when technology is properly implemented, according to Project RED. 
·
A Federal Reserve study found that students with a PC and broadband at home have six to eight percentage point 
higher graduation rates than similar student who don’t have home access to the Internet.
·
A 40-year retrospective study from Concordia University concluded that classrooms where computer technology 
was used to support teaching had a positive effect on learning and attitude. Challenges to digital textbook adoption 
include state textbook procurement rules, device and content interoperability, connectivity costs and managing the 
transition.
·
While the United States spends more than $7 billion a year on textbooks, too many students are using books that 
are 7-10 years old with outdated material.
·
The U.S. trails countries like South Korea in transitioning to digital textbooks; the country has announced that all 
students will begin the transition to digital textbooks in 2015.

THE FCC’S TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION AGENDA

The FCC is the biggest funder of connectivity in K-12 schools in the United States and is helping connect 
America’s schools to the networks of the future:

·
The FCC’s education agenda is focused on helping educators, students and parents transform learning 
opportunities through the use of technology at school, in the community, and at home. 

By modernizing the E-rate program, the FCC is working to ensure that America’s students receive the best 
education and the high-tech skills to compete in the 21st century economy. The E-rate program was established 
by Congress to bring connectivity to all schools and libraries in America:

·
Learning-on-the-Go Mobile Pilots: The pilot program will help the FCC learn how best to support wireless 
connectivity services for mobile learning devices, like digital textbooks, so that students and patrons can connect 
with online resources even when they’re not in school or at a library. The FCC selected 20 Learning On-the-Go 
applicants to enable schools and libraries to deliver Internet connectivity and digital learning over mobile wireless 
devices outside of the school or library.
·
Super-Fast Fiber: The FCC’s E-rate Order is helping to bring affordable, super-fast fiber connections to America’s 
schools and libraries. It allows participants to use E-rate funds to connect to the Internet in the most cost-effective 
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way possible, including via unused fiber lines already in place across the country and through existing state, 
regional and local networks. 
·
School Spots:The FCC also opened the door to “School Spots” where schools have the option to provide Internet 
access to the local community after students go home. With affordable fiber, these School Spots are a major step 
toward the National Broadband Plan’s goal of connecting an anchor institution in every community to affordable 1 
Gbps broadband. 
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